


Not another one!

by grimmlin



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Case Fic, Dean might have a crush on Castiel, Gabriel (Supernatural) is Loki, Gabriel is talked about, M/M, Slight Canon Divergence, Tricksters, implied bottom dean winchester, implied top Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-10 04:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10428843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimmlin/pseuds/grimmlin
Summary: Set in season 12, sometime after episode 12 (Stuck in the Middle with You) but exactly when isn't important. Other than Wincest, it is a mostly canon compliant side case.Dean finds a case and even though Sam is reluctant, he agrees to go along with it. Sam is apprehensive because it looks likes another Trickster, but Dean is determined that a non-Lucifer or Men of Letters case would do them some good. It might even be like a vacation. Or not. When is it ever?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains nothing more explicit than kissing, although certain activities are implied. The base idea for this has been rumbling around in my head for a while and I finally had to get it out, hopefully y'all find it somewhat enjoyable. If it needs more tags, please let me know...I suck at tags.

“Whataya got Dean?” Sam asks with interest as he makes his away around the table to peer over his brother’s shoulder, leaning in to breathe in the fresh scent of Dean’s shampoo and freshly washed flannel. He’s pleased to see that his brother is wearing the dark green one with hints of blue, the one that makes his eyes pop and his skin glow. It’s one of Sam’s favorites. 

“It looks like there might be a Trickster down in Tampa. No one’s been killed, but it looks like someone has been playing strange pranks on local assholes who were abusing kids.” Dean explains, his voice dipping lower as he leans back in his chair. The bunker is the nicest place they’ve ever lived, but it doesn’t make those hard wooden chairs any more comfortable. He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder to feel Sam tense, and he doesn’t need to see the pinched bitch face to know that it’s there. 

“If it’s targeting abusers, maybe it's just a vengeful spirit” Sam huffs, not amused by the thought of a Trickster. “What makes you think it’s a Trickster?” Sam says a little too quickly, quick enough for Dean to turn and raise a curious eyebrow. 

“Because of the way these creeps are being busted. One woman, who was caught with her adopted daughter half starved in a closet, was found with half her toes sliced off and her bloody foot stuffed into a glass slipper. It’s sick!” Dean explains. 

“Like Cinderella?” Sam huffs, half laughing. “Sounds like she got what she deserved” He pinches his lips together. Yeah, someone chopping people’s toes off is wrong... but it doesn’t sound like their kind of wrong. 

“Yeah, like the original Cinderella. There was also the adoptive father of a beaten and raped little boy who was mauled by what he claims were a bunch of rats. Rats Sam!” Dean grimaces, turning back to his computer. “This kind of stuff doesn’t just happen!”  

“Hmm. I’m not sure bad people getting what they deserve is our kind of problem, Dean” Sam mutters, sharing in his disgust. Rats? Really? What was that movie? About the boy who could control the rats? Sam shudders at the thought. 

“And a teacher who ate an apple and fell into a coma?! Turns out he was spending a little too much time with some of the girls after school! Something weird is going on. Something is attacking people who are hurting kids. The M.O sounds a like a trickster to me” Dean says, half proud of his conclusion but also concerned his brother really is going to shoot him down. 

“If there aren’t bodies, it isn’t our kind of thing” Sam bites, he does not want to go anywhere near a Trickster. Not after the last one. Sure, that Trickster turned out to be an Archangel, but it doesn’t change the nightmare that Gabriel put them through. “Even IF it is a Trickster, maybe someone should be thanking it!” 

“Come on Sammy! We’ve been stuck here for too long” Dean whines. He knows he shouldn’t have mentioned Trickster, but Sam would have figured it out soon enough. “I need to shoot something!” Dean turns to see Sam stalking away, towards his room, and he shakes his head. “Going up against a real trickster might be good for us” Dean mumbles under his breath as Sam slams the door behind him. Dean isn’t going to let this rest. 

\--- 

Sam flops onto his bed with an angry huff. He doesn’t blame Dean, not really. Dean doesn’t remember what happened at the Mystery Spot. He doesn’t remember dying 103 times. Dean never had to watch his brother be killed 103 different ways in an endless time loop. Gabriel may be dead, but Sam is still angry. He wants nothing to do with a damn Trickster. 

A gentle knock sounds on the door as it creaks open just enough for bright green eyes to peer through. “Sammy?” Dean whispers softly, knowing how irritated Sam is. 

“You know I want nothing to do with Tricksters Dean!” Sam bites, forcing his anger to the surface as he glares through the crack in the door at his brother. 

“I know” Dean concedes, letting the door fall open further since Sam hasn’t ordered him away yet. He cautiously steps into the room, eyeing his brother still sprawled on the bed. If now weren’t the time, he’d be fantasizing about all he could do with his brother spread out like that. His tongue darts out to lick his lips of its own volition, he can’t help himself. 

“I can’t go through that again” Sam mumbles, turning away from his brother’s gaze. Dealing with the British Men of Letters is bad enough, but now that their Mom is back in the picture and the woman pregnant with Lucifer’s child is on the run; he really doesn’t want to deal with something like a Trickster. 

“That wasn’t really a Trickster, Sam. No, come on. Listen” Dean half pleads as Sam rolls away to face the wall. “Maybe ganking a real Trickster would make you feel better?” Dean tries, but he knows he’s bad at this shit. He walks around the bed towards Sam, forcing his brother’s knees back so he can sit on the edge of the bed. He inwardly curses his brother’s shitty mattress, but Sam refuses to cave and get memory foam.  

Dean rests a cautious hand on Sam’s shoulder. “It’s been almost ten years. We’ve faced worse” Dean pouts. So much has been happening the last few months that Dean feels like he’s losing his brother. Not as brothers, no…they’re fine on that account for once. Dean feels like he’s losing that extra bond between them, the one that’s brought them comfort through the most trying times, the one that their enemies have used against them so many times. They haven’t been the same since their solitary confinement at the hands of the government and Dean feels like he’s drowning. 

They haven’t dared to be anything more than brothers when their Mom is around, and Dean can’t decide whether he’s glad or pissed that she doesn’t seem to want to be around them. Hell, it seems like she doesn’t even want to get to know them. He suspects Sam feels the same but his little brother has always been better at hiding things. 

In the dim light of Sam’s bedroom, with no one else in the bunker, Dean feels like he can breathe. He can’t help but notice the way Sam leans in to the hand Dean has resting on his shoulder, but he also can’t help but notice the space Sam is drawing between them. 

Sam sighs deeply. He knows Dean is right. He knows that Gabriel wasn’t really a trickster and they’ve been through so much since. He knows Dean well enough to know that for whatever reason, Dean isn’t going to let this one go. “Tampa huh?” Sam mutters, begrudgingly giving in to the pouty green eyes that he just knows are focused on him. Dean claims Sam has the puppy dog eyes, but has he ever looked in a mirror? Dean can be pretty damn pitiful when he wants to be. Sam can never say no, not for long. 

“Yeah. Maybe we could call it a vacation” Dean grins his megawatt smile and Sam can’t help but give in to the small smile that is making his own lip twitch. Despite everything they’ve been through, Dean is like a little kid when he’s excited about something. Sam doesn’t bother giving voice to his demand of _no flamethrowers!_ He doesn’t want to crush Dean’s spirit this soon. 

Two hours and a short phone call to Cass later, and they’re loaded up in the Impala heading for Florida. Sam folds himself into his usual space, trying not to smash his knees on the dash and settling in for the two day drive.  

“Why Tampa? Dean?” Sam can’t help but ask now that they’re finally underway. It had taken almost an hour to convince Dean to bring a pair of swim trunks, Sam was surprised that either of them had swim shorts to begin with but he finds himself looking forward to the prospect of a dripping wet Dean in nothing but shorts that hang a little too low on his hips. 

“Because a case somewhere nice is the closest we ever get to a vacation” Dean answers with a shrug, like it's obvious. He doesn’t take his eyes off the road though, and the slight twitch in his jaw gives away the game. He’s nervous. 

“Huh” Sam answers shortly, pointedly not looking across the bench seat to his brother. “I guess we could use some time, just the two of us” He hazards, unsure of Dean’s intention. “I still think it’s a ghost though. Maybe a kid who watched too many fairy tales” Sam leans back in his seat, stretching his legs as far as they can go. He glances sideways at his brother, trying to guess at his thoughts.  

“Maybe” Dean mutters. “Hey, maybe we can spring for a slightly nicer hotel this time?” He turns towards Sam with hope gleaming in his eyes.  

“Sure” Sam says with a shrug. No big deal. Not at all when Dean is looking at him like _that._ Those sparkly green eyes and the real smile that Dean seems to reserve exclusively for Sam. The crinkles around his eyes and the perfectly straight teeth framed by those perfect lips, Sam is powerless to resist. He always has been. Dean’s grin goes wider and Sam dares to reach his hand across the bench seat to rest it on Dean’s thigh. 

Dean’s smile blinks slightly at the contact, and Sam nearly draws his hand back, but then Dean glances back at him like he’s been given some incredible gift and Sam knows that everything is ok. They need this. 

\--- 

They decide not to drive straight through, neither of them want to be exhausted after a 20 hour drive. Whether they’re after a ghost, a Trickster of some demented human…being exhausted would not be helpful.  

Dean leaves Sam to get the room, says he wants to go on a quick supply run, so Sam grabs his duffle and trudges into the hotel office. 

“Can I get a room please?” Sam asks the young woman behind the counter. Her frizzed up blond hair, complete with headband, and the wad of bubblegum she’s smacking between her teeth make Sam grateful the 80s are over. And that’s before her perfume cloud threatens to choke all the air from his lungs. It takes all of his willpower not to cough at the overwhelming stench. 

“Sure thing sugar” She drawls, leaning forward and setting her tabloid down. She eyes Sam like a hungry wolf wearing too much makeup. “One king or two queens?” She asks, raking her gaze up and down Sam’s body. 

Sam feels violated. Her intense gaze and even more intense pink lipstick make him shiver, and not in a good way. “Uh, one King. Please” He mutters, willing this encounter to be over. 

“You traveling alone sweetheart?” She oogles him shamelessly, flipping through her book to see what rooms are available. 

“No. Uh, you got anything on the ground floor on a corner?” He dares to ask, cringing internally and not wanting to continue any sort of conversation with this woman. 

“Sure thing darlin'. I got just the room” She scribbles down some information in her book before turning her appraising gaze back to Sam. “Just need some ID, and it’ll be $52.50” She says with a snap of her gum, chewing open mouthed without concern for the fact that Sam can clearly see the blob of gum stuck between her teeth. 

He gingerly slides one of his many fake IDs across the counter and the credit card to match. Not for the first time, he’s grateful for the fake names. He doesn’t think he wants this woman to know his real name. Ever. 

“James Patrick” She eyes the ID, reading the name out loud. “You don’t really look like a James” She smacks her gum again, Sam swears it's louder this time. 

“I was named after my Grandfather” Sam says dryly, trying not to look like he’s hating every second of being in the room with this 1980s holdover who doesn’t understand that perfume isn’t supposed to choke everyone in the room. 

“I see” She says absently, momentarily distracted from hungrily eying Sam by writing down his information in her book. “I’ve got you in room 152. My name’s Tricia if you need anything, darlin'. And I mean anything at all” She says sweetly as her eyes return to scanning him from head to toe. Her smile is downright predatory. 

“Ah, thanks” Sam says hesitantly as he reaches for the keys that she’s holding out towards him. He’s half tempted to run screaming but he restrains himself, forcing a small smile before turning and taking extra long strides to the door. 

He quickly sucks in fresh air as soon as he’s outside and texts Dean the room number. There’s no sign of Dean or his baby yet so he decides to wander towards the room. They’re staying just outside of Nashville and already the air is so much different than in Kansas. Sam happily breathes in the fresh, southern air, already feeling more relaxed than he has in weeks. Maybe getting back on the road really was what he needed. 

The room is decent, considering what they’re used to. If you don’t look too closely at the Paisley patterned wallpaper. The bathtub faucet doesn’t even drip and it looks like they might not catch some serious disease if they take their boots off. Sam flops on his usual side of the bed, farthest from the door, knowing it would be pointless to try and take Dean’s appointed spot. He lets his mind wander but it doesn’t take long for him to land on this case they’re looking at. 

If something is hurting people who are abusing kids, maybe it isn’t such a bad thing. Their job is to kill monsters, but what about ones who only hunt worse monsters? It wouldn’t be the first time they came across a not so evil monster. 

The rumble of the Impala interrupts his thoughts and the thought of food causes his stomach to rumble. It isn’t that late really, but being on the road all day is exhausting work. Sam climbs out of bed to open the door for his brother. He can’t help the smirk when he wonders what Dean will say to the room with one bed. For years they kept getting rooms with two queens just to keep up pretenses. First for their father and then for Cass, not that they’re fooling the Angel any. It just seems, less uncomfortable.  

Dean stumbles in through the open door, Sam standing to the side but not offering to help carry the bags his brother is struggling to keep hold of. “You could have taken more than one trip” Sam chastises, rolling his eyes as Dean drops his armload of fast food bags on the small table by the door. 

“Shut up, bitch” Dean playfully gripes, digging straight into one bag that promises greasy fast food. 

“Whatever jerk” Sam gripes back, taking the plastic clamshell of salad that Dean thrusts towards him. 

Dean’s eyes grow wide and quickly flash to Sam’s as soon as he turns around and takes in the sleeping arrangements. “One bed?” Dean gulps, he had sort of hoped that maybe Sam would be willing to share; but he hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected Sam to take the initiative. 

“That ok?” Sam asks, chin dropping so that he has to look up through his bangs to see Dean’s surprised expression. He hopes he didn’t read Dean wrong with all of this. 

“Yeah, Sammy. Of course it is. Just surprised is all” Dean shuffles his feet, unsure if he wants to go jump on the bed or drag Sam into his arms. Sam raises his head slightly, enough for Dean to see his eyes without all that hair in the way. Dean flashes Sam a smile. He’s glad, really. “Let's eat” Dean’s smile grows as he turns back to the table with his bag. If he and Sammy are sharing a bed, he isn’t going to piss his brother off by getting crumbs in the sheets. 

They talk about the case while they eat. While they were on the road today, another unfortunate event happened to someone that sounds like what they’re looking for. There hasn’t been word yet if any children were involved with the victim, but a man found encased in a wooden barrel, rolling down the street; was strange enough to make the evening news. “Looks like maybe this guy wasn’t quite as horrible as the rest?” Sam asks with a quirked brow. The man wasn’t seriously injured, only some unfortunate splinters. He was more terrified than anything. Based on the other happenings, this man’s crimes must not have been as dire. 

“Maybe. Weird thing was, he claims to have just woken up in the barrel. No idea how he got there. It was the same for the other victims. None of them have any idea who attacked them, except the rat guy” Dean says with a shrug, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms above his head. 

“Well, I’m gonna hit the shower” Sam says quickly when he sees the way Dean’s shirts ride up, exposing a strip of his belly when Dean stretches. The exposed strip of skin has Sam’s mouth watering and he can’t just sit here and take it. 

“Don’t use all the hot water!” Dean playfully shouts after Sam’s retreating back. Sam hadn’t even bothered to grab fresh clothes, just dragged his whole bag with him.  

Dean makes short work of gathering the trash before settling on the bed with his laptop. He can hear the shower running and he hums contentedly to himself while he types _Tampa news_ into the search bar. They’re on the road, on a case, just the two of them. Sam is safe, Cass is out there ready to have their back if they need it. Everything is good, as it should be. 

Turns out, barrel guy is connected to the other attacks. Dean reads with a sinking feeling in his stomach about how the man previously thought to be OK is now in the ICU with a skin melting condition. Turns out the wooden barrel only looked like a beer keg. His lungs are turning to soup and his skin is dissolving. Dean has to swallow down a surge of vomit when he reads about the barrels of acid found in the swamp near his house after an anonymous tip. Barrels of acid and the half dissolved remains of at least three young girls. Dean can’t help but hope the hospital is trying to save that bastard just to prolong his agony. Maybe a nurse will _forget_ to give him pain meds. 

Dean sits there, staring at the screen in a mixture of shock and disgust. That man is probably going to die, and Dean can’t find it in himself to be anything other than glad if what he read is true. He hears the water shut off in the bathroom, he hears the door softly click open and Sam’s footfalls on the carpet as he scrubs a towel over his hair.  

Dean looks up to see Sam staring at him in concern, shirtless and wearing sleep pants that hang low on his hips. Low enough to get a good look at the sharp cut of Sam’s hips and the V going south. Dean’s mouth feels dry and full of cotton when he slams his computer shut and launches himself off the bed.  

“My turn” He says shortly, before Sam has a chance to ask when Dean looks pale a ghost and ready to puke. He doesn’t bother grabbing clothes, he just hurries into the bathroom and locks the door behind him. 

Sam stands in the middle of the room, bewildered. He glances at the laptop Dean had been using, haphazardly discarded on the edge of the bed. What was Dean looking at? 

Sam tugs on a t-shirt, going shirtless didn’t have the effect he wanted so there’s no sense in risking some flesh eating disease by exposing himself here. He sits on the bed, leaning back against the rickety headboard and grabs Dean’s computer.  

He tells himself he’s not spying on his brother, he’s just concerned, so he opens the lid and swears that he’s only going to look at the whatever screens are still open. Sam’s eyes widen when he begins the read the article posted in the Tampa Tribune about the man found stuck in a barrel. The man is a monster, well…worse than a monster.  

He snaps his brother’s computer shut and reaches for his own. He carefully places it back where Dean had set it, not that he could fool Dean. Somehow, Dean’s big brother senses will know that Sam went snooping.  

Dean takes what feels like years in the shower. Sam scrolls through website after website, trying to research the victims in Tampa to see if they have anything in common other than being scum of the earth. Sam has a hard time even calling them victims. Cinderella lady is a tax accountant, rat guy is a plumber and his wife a manager at Publix and Barrel guy is a divorcee construction worker. His ex wife works for the state and fosters children. All seemingly upstanding citizens with nothing in common other than abusing kids. The teacher in coma had only been in Tampa a couple of years, after being fired from his last position for inappropriate behavior with students. He’s the only one on the list with prior issues.  

None of those people went to the same church, or any church for that matter. They live in different areas of the city, some didn’t even live in Tampa. The teacher and the rat guy live in a small burg south of Tampa called Bradenton. Barrel guy’s ex wife lives in Bradenton, maybe they should pay her a visit. 

Dean finally emerges from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, wearing nothing but a towel. Sam glances at the clock, 45 minutes. Dean’s skin is red from the too hot water and his hair is still dripping, making him blink the excess water out of his glassy green eyes. 

“Dean?” Sam questions, clicking his computer shut and getting to his feet. His brother is still standing there, staring at him with a strange look on his face. 

“Maybe you were right Sam. Maybe this isn’t our kind of case” Dean mumbles. He thought long and hard about in the shower as the burning water coursed over his back. The punishing heat felt good, until he started feeling like he was going to throw up all over again. Even if this is an actual monster attacking these people, it’s doing good work. 

“Dean?” Sam asks again, trying to make sense of Dean’s mottled complexion and change of heart. Sure, Sam had doubts about this case to begin with, but it isn’t like Dean to talk about just letting a monster go. 

“Did you see Sam? I know you looked” Dean glances past Sam and at his computer, laying almost right where he left it. Almost. “That guy is a monster” He mutters, turning his hardened green eyes back to Sam. 

“I know Dean. But what if whoever is targeting these people moves on to innocents? It needs to be stopped” Sam tries to convince Dean when he himself isn’t convinced. “Come on, let's just get some sleep” Sam reaches for Dean, wrapping his long finger’s around his brother’s wrist and tugs him closer.  

Dean goes willingly, letting Sam fold him up in his arms and guide him back toward the bed. “Ok Sam. Ok” Dean mumbles as he breaks away from Sam to dig through his bag in search of clothes.  

Sam presses behind Dean, wrapping his arms around his brother’s middle and letting his fingers brush across the light pudge just below Dean’s belly button. Dean is harder than he used to be, his muscles more defined, but Sam loves him just the same. Dean’s breath hitches when Sam bends down to plant teasing kisses along the curve of Dean’s throat and behind his ear. 

Dean can’t help but hum in satisfaction at Sam’s attentions and lean back into his brother. This is what they’ve been missing. Too afraid to let any of this show around other people, especially their mom. They don’t expect her to understand, and Dean will be happy to let her and everyone else think he and Cass are the ones with stubbornly hidden feelings. Cass knows, he understands. Hell, Cass even plays along sometimes. 

“Sammy” Dean murmurs with a sigh when Sam wraps his arms tightly around Dean’s shoulders. Dean relaxes in his brother’s hold, still worried about the case at hand but willing to let it go for the time being. 

“Let's get some sleep” Sam whispers in a low rumble. It feels so good just to hold Dean like this, without worrying about someone else seeing. He feels Dean nod against his shoulder just before he pulls away to get dressed. 

They crawl in bed together, Dean pulling Sam close so that his mop of dark hair is resting on Dean’s chest with both of Dean’s arms around him. This is the most comfortable either of them have been in weeks, and they simple lay there; savoring the comfort being this close gives them. Sam drifts off to sleep first, and Dean turns his head to place a chaste kiss in his hair. “Goodnight Sammy” Dean whispers, too low to Sam to hear through the haze of sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

They pull in to Tampa too late in the day to do any investigating, and Dean insists on finding a hotel near the water. “We should stay by the Ocean Sammy!” He excitedly babbles. 

“It’s the Gulf of Mexico, Dean. Not the Ocean” Sam rolls his eyes and hides his smirk at Dean’s excitement. “Tampa isn’t even right on the Gulf, it’s just a bay” Sam gripes. Sometimes he just can’t resist being an annoying little brother. 

“Oh shut up. It’s the same thing!” Dean refuses to let Mr. Smartypants get him down. He’ll call it the ocean if he damn well pleases. He flashes Sam an annoyed glare, just to make sure he gets his point across as he follows the signs to the beach. There’s bound to be hotels by the water, and their fake credit cards will buy them whatever room they want. 

“No. Dean. It really isn’t” Sam shakes his head in amusement. 

“It’s salt water and palm trees, Sam. That’s good enough for me” Dean’s glare turns into the grin that he knows Sam is powerless to resist. 

“Fine, Dean. Let's find a hotel on the _Ocean_ ” Sam throws his brother a bitch face to pair nicely with his dripping sarcasm and Dean has the nerve to laugh. He doesn't so much laugh as he cackles, and it doesn’t take Sam long to loosen up and join him. 

They find a room at the Bay Harbor Hotel and it takes Dean about five minutes to hightail it to the beach, still wearing jeans and three shirts. 

“Dean! Wait up!” Sam calls after him, hurrying to catch up. Sam had the foresight to strip off his flannel shirt when they crossed the state line into Florida, despite being winter it’s still pushing 80 and he’s hot even in short sleeves. Dean must be sweltering. 

Dean pays Sam no mind, knowing his little brother’s long legs will carry him fast enough. As soon as his boots sink into the white sand, and the last rays of sunlight glint off of the perfectly clear water, he strips off his over shirt and starts untying his laces. The dozen or so steps he took in the sand have filled his boots with the sharp little grains and proven that he’d be better off barefoot.  

He shucks his socks off quickly, Sam catching up just in time to act as his balance as he hops on one foot in the hot sand. Sam laughs, and tries to move away so Dean would fall face first in the sand, but Dean is nothing if not tenacious and he holds a death grip on Sam’s shoulder. 

Sam quickly follows suit, losing his own boots while Dean gathers his stuff and starts trudging towards the water. Sam stands still, scanning the sparse crowd scattered around the beach and enjoying the warmth of the sand between his toes. He spots a stand selling drinks and makes his way towards it, he smiles when he sees a sign promising beer and buys two. 

Dean stops just before he gets to the water’s edge, knowing he can’t go in wearing jeans and an armful of boots and clothes. He takes a few steps back, looking for a safe place to dump his stuff and roll his pant legs up so he can test the water. 

His gaze lands on a pretty young woman reading a book, she doesn’t so much as glance up when she feels his eyes on her; but her posture changes enough for him to know that she knows he’s staring. He shrugs, assuming she’s pointedly ignoring him because she’s used to getting hit on. Her auburn hair is tied back loosely in a ponytail and even though she’s dressed almost as modestly as him, Dean can tell she’s got a great body. Petite, curvy…just his type.  

“Excuse, me. Miss?” Dean starts, glancing a the girl. She doesn’t look up right away, she carefully reaches for her bookmark and places it gently before closing her book with great care.  

“Yes?” She answers, her voice clear as a bell and her eyes shockingly blue. Her mouth forms a perfect little bow as she looks at him questioningly. 

“Uh, sorry to bug you” Dean answers, almost changing his mind. He takes a deep breath when she doesn’t look away, when she narrows those baby blues and cocks her head. She reminds him of Cass, and that is what steels his resolve. “Um, would you mind if I left my stuff here for a minute? I want to get my feet wet but…” He grins sheepishly, his patented Dean Winchester _charm their socks off_ smile. 

“You didn’t bring a towel” She points out, a smile twitching on her lips as she considers him and gently sets her book on her lap. “Go ahead, I won’t let anyone steal your stuff” She smiles sweetly and waves him off. 

“Thank you!” Dean grins and he carefully puts his stuff down and bends to roll his pant legs up. 

“You’re from out of state I take it?” The girl asks with a smirk. It’s clear she is trying not to laugh at his excited expression. 

“Kansas” Dean answers, flashing her a grin. “Name’s Dean” He reaches his hand out to her, still bent over. 

“Only out of stators get so excited about the water” She does laugh a little this time, reaching out to shake his hand. “I’m Michaela”  

Sam chooses that moment to approach, his mouth pressed in to a line as he watches his brother smile and laugh with this half naked girl on the beach. “Hey baby” Sam says sweetly to Dean, calling him out and causing his brother to blush scarlet as Sam rests his hand on Dean's lower back, being sure to brush under the back of shirt so that his thumb tucks into Dean's waistband. 

“Michaela here offered to watch my stuff so I could go in the water, I didn’t know where you went” Dean explains, still blushing furiously. He knows what’s going through his brother’s head and it is so not true. He turns his pleading green eyes on Sam, trying to look as innocent as a 38 year old man could be. 

"I'd be happy to watch your stuff, if you want to go to?" Michaela offers and Sam resists shooting her a glare. 

"I'll pass" Sam huffs shortly to Dean.  

"In that case you can keep me company while your boyfriend enjoys the water" Michaela says to Sam with a friendly smile, she can see the tension in the taller man's shoulders and the way Dean is looking at him nervously. 

"Sure" Sam shrugs, spreading Dean's shirt out in the sand to sit on. "Want a beer?" He offers Michaela and she happily accepts. Dean looks as if he's about to cry at the lost alcohol before turning and trudging off towards the water. 

Dean mutters under his breath as he goes, irritated that he just unintentionally pissed Sam off. At least this Michaela girl was nice enough to try and calm Sam down. At this point he doesn't even want to get his feet wet anymore, but if he changes his mind now, Sam will be even more pissed. 

"He wasn't hitting on me" Michaela says to Sam without looking at him, setting her book aside. She knows jealous when she sees it. 

"Huh?" Sam tears his eyes away from Dean's back and looks at the girl beside him. Her eyes are strikingly blue, maybe even as blue as Castiel's and every bit as knowing. It's unnerving. 

"Dean. He wasn't...unless he's just really bad at it, he wasn't hitting on me. That's what you were worried about, right?" She meets Sam's eyes and the intensity in those hazel depths throws her off for a moment. She half stumbles over her words and Sam attributes it to nerves.  

"No. You would know it if he was" Sam huffs a laugh and takes a swig of his beer, relaxing a little. This girl is perceptive. 

"How long have you two been together?" She asks, cocking her head slightly in curiosity. 

"It feels like our entire lives" Sam answers honestly. 

"That's sweet" Michaela smiles, her perfectly white teeth framed by lush lips as she turns back to watch Dean step through the waves. 

"You from around here?" Sam asks, trying to keep friendly conversation. 

"Hmmm, not really. I live in Bradenton now, I’m just in Tampa visiting my father. He got kinda wrapped up in something, so I'm on my own" She shrugs, taking a sip of the beer Sam had offered her. "Dean said you're from Kansas?" 

"Yeah, we're on vacation" Sam lets himself smile for real. "Whatcha reading?" Sam asks, gesturing towards her book. 

"Oh, uh. The Odyssey" She blushes slightly, as if ashamed to be reading something so heavy on the beach. 

"Nice. I read that in college" Sam nods appreciatively.  

"Oh? Where'd you go? If you don't mind my asking" Michaela asks, not focused solely on Sam.  

"Stanford" Sam replies simply, not really wanting to talk about that much; but there is just something about this girl that makes her easy to talk to. He doesn't find that often with civilians. Or anyone really. "What about you?" He asks, trying to force the attention off of himself. 

"Me? Walden, in Minneapolis" She shrugs, not expecting Sam to recognize the college. 

"Walden? I think Dean and I passed through there once, almost a decade ago" Sam shrugs despite the memories flashing through his mind. Walden is where they met Gabriel for the first time. 

"Really?" She asks excitedly. "No one ever knows my school!" She leans forward excitedly, grinning fully. “I would have been a junior a decade ago. Wow, time flies” Sam notices the dimples framing her near perfect mouth and can't help but smile back. She is cute, he'll give Dean that. 

Suddenly a dripping shadow looms over Sam, and the tall man looks up into the irritated and very wet face of Dean. "Dean" Sam half gasps, somehow feeling like he's been caught with his pants down. "What happened?" He half gasps, taking in the soaked state of his brother. 

"A big wave" Dean grates out, glance between Sam and Michaela, who looks like she's trying really hard not to laugh as she avoid his gaze. He isn't about to say that it felt like something pulled his feet out from under him. It must have been one of those rip tides he's heard about. 

She nearly chokes in her effort to not laugh at Dean's impression of a drowned rat, and eventually loses her battle and takes Sam with her. Dean huffs angrily, causing her to glance up. "Sorry, its just..." She devolves into giggles as if the sopping wet man in front of her is the funniest thing she's ever seen. "Sorry. Here" She forces herself to cease her giggling long enough to reach into her bag and pull out a towel, handing it to Dean. 

Dean’s glare softens slightly as he takes the offered towel. “Thanks” He grumbles, unsure if he should be insulted by her laughter or not. Sam’s laughter…that he knows he’s insulted by. 

“You two look like you were having fun” Dean says to Sam, tone dripping with sarcasm. How dare Sam accuse him of flirting with this girl and then turn around and do the same thing! 

“We were starting to” Sam says happily with a wink. He’s all for pushing Dean’s buttons right now, but Michaela glances at him nervously. 

Dean swipes the half drank beer from Sam’s grasp and finishes it quickly. “We should head back to the room _sweetheart”_ Dean grates towards Sam. “It was really nice to meet you Michaela, thanks for the towel” Dean says sincerely, handing the now damp towel back to the girl. 

“No problem, handsome” Michaela smiles brightly as she takes in Dean's bright green eyes and towel ruffled hair. She doesn’t seem to notice Sam’s glance of curiosity.  

Sam gets to his feet, wiping his sandy hands on his jeans and shakes the sand out of Dean’s shirt. “It was nice to meet you” Sam flashes her a dimpled grin but doesn’t miss the brief look of unease flash across her features before she schools her expression. She probably feels like she’s stuck in the middle of a lover’s spat. “Maybe we’ll see you around?” Sam can’t help but ask, just to push Dean’s buttons. And she seems kinda cool, knowing a local might not be a bad thing. 

“Uh, maybe. I’m heading home tomorrow” She shrugs, looking past the two men and out towards the water. “It was nice to meet you two though. Have fun on your vacation!” She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes, she seems distracted.  

“I’m sure we will” Dean smiles, his green eyes sparkling and pretending not to notice her discomfort. He and Sammy are a couple of heartbreakers and he knows it. 

Sam and Dean nod and turn to head back toward the hotel. They don’t turn back to notice the pair of blue eyes watching them intently as the Odyssey sits ignored. 

“She seemed nice” Dean starts once they’re out of earshot. “What did you two talk about?” He’s trying to keep his tone light and his jealousy down, but something didn’t feel quite right when they were saying their goodbyes. 

Sam shrugs at Dean’s unspoken accusation. “Not much, she lives in Bradenton. Dodged the question of where she’s from like a pro and she went to college at that school we met Gabriel at” Sam turns his head to give Dean a knowing look. Now that they’re away from her, Sam is looking at their conversation more critically. It’s probably nothing. People run away to hide somewhere all the time, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with her. 

“Walden? Huh” Dean raises a brow and exchanges a knowing look with Sam. “I suppose it’s not impossible” Dean shrugs, trying not to read too much into it. People go to college all the time. “Did you get a last name from her?” He scuffs his bare foot in the sand, resisting the urge to take Sam’s hand in his. 

“No, didn’t come up” Sam glances towards Dean, seeing the way his brother’s eyes are trained to the ground about ten feet in front of them. He glances down and notices the way Dean is holding his hand flat to his thigh and decides to reach out and take that hand. He knows Dean, he knows his tells when his brother wants to touch but isn’t letting himself. 

Dean sighs quietly when he feels the warmth of Sam’s hand envelope his and the two lapse into silence for the rest of the walk. The sand feels amazing between their toes, still warm from the sun's powerful rays and the sound of the water gently lapping at the shore brings them a sense a peace they haven't felt  in months. 

Just before stepping out of the sand and on to the sidewalk, Sam stops without releasing Dean's hand. Dean feels the tug and turns to face his brother with a questioning look. He's still soaking wet, and the sun is low enough now to have lost it's warmth. He's getting cool and his heavy, soaked jeans are threatening to fall despite his belt’s best efforts. He wants to get back to the room and change. 

Dean goes still when he sees the soft smile on Sam's lips, his hazel eyes full of adoration as he scans Dean from head to toe. Dean wiggles said toes in the sand, still delighting in the feeling as his gaze fixates on Sam's mouth. He gives Sam's hand a tug, urging him to step closer and reaches up with his other hand to cup Sam's strong jaw in his palm; drawing Sam downward.  

Sam eagerly leans in to Dean's touch, seeing what Dean wants written in his eyes and the way his tongue darts out to lick his lips. He bends down to gently press his lips to Dean's. The kiss is soft and sweet, the first of it's kind in quite some time. Sam lets his hand come to rest on Dean's hip, pulling his brother that much closer as their mouths move together. Dean tastes of salt and beer, and Sam thinks that’s perfect. 

\---- 

The night passes quickly. Before they know it, the sun is shining in through their window and Dean is climbing out of bed to hunt down coffee. It takes Dean a minute to find duffle from where it had been thrown the night before, somehow it ended up underneath the small couch in their room. He carefully stretches his back, smiling at the dull ache in his ass that Sam left there the night before. He can still feel Sam’s hands roaming his body and the ghost of last night’s kisses when he closes his eyes and he breathes out with a sense of deep satisfaction. He feels so good right now and the memories of last night feel even better. 

Sam starts to wake about the time Dean is tugging his old AC/DC Tee over his head and he smiles sleepily at Dean. "Coffee?" Sam mumbles, only awake enough to look at Dean through narrowed eyes. He's still naked under the sheets, and he's sure he could use a shower. 

"Yeah Sleeping Beauty. I'll be right back" Dean smiles at the dopey look on his brother's face. It's so nice to see Sam relax, it’s the only time Dean himself can relax properly. 

"I'mma shower" Sam mumbles through a yawn as he stretches his arms above his head.  

“You do that” Dean smiles fondly at his brother as he grabs the keys. He doesn’t think he’ll need to take Baby, but he can never be too sure. His smile doesn’t fade even as he locks the door behind him, leaving Sam to supposedly shower if the moose can drag himself out of bed. 

Dean quickly finds the hotel lobby to test their coffee. He pours himself a cup and hazards a sniff. He shrugs his shoulders and takes a taste. He’s had worse, but he’s pretty sure he saw a Starbucks around the corner from the hotel. 

He returns the good morning from the desk receptionist and chuckles at the memory of Sam’s story about the woman in Tennessee. He would have loved to see that. The guy behind this desk is so boringly normal. He raises his cup in thanks to the man as he makes his way back out. No sense in wasting the coffee. 

He sips it as he meanders down the street. Even though the sun is barely up, there are girls in tank tops with ridiculous boob jobs strutting down the street, some jogging and some walking dogs. Dean eyes them without any real interest and he can barely believe he doesn’t feel anything looking at those perky globes bouncing along and the flirty grins on the girl’s faces as they pass him. He has everything he wants back at the hotel and it took him nearly 20 years to realize it. 

The Starbucks is right where he thought it was and he orders Sam his favorite caramel latte crap and Dean gets his extra large black manly man coffee. He smiles broadly at the girl fixing his order, she blushes and giggles every time they make eye contact. She looks like she’s barely out of high school and he can’t help but grin at her bashfulness. He knows he’s adorable. 

He stumbles when he turns away from the counter after collecting the coffees. A splash of his burning hot coffee covers his hand and he nearly drops them both, only saving them with his quick reflexes and some choice curse words. He hears a light giggle from behind the counter and resists shooting a glare to the barista. It isn’t her fault he just tripped over his own shoelaces like a little kid. He huffs, setting the drinks on a table and bends to tie his shoe. He finds it a little strange that one of his laces came undone in the time it took him to order coffee, but there isn’t any use in being upset over something as mundane as a shoe lace. At least he didn’t dump the coffee all over the floor like he could have.  

“Have a nice day!” He hears the Barista call behind him when he finally makes it to the door. He turns, pushing through the door backwards and raises his cup in salute with one of his patented Dean Winchester grins. She giggles again and blushes, ducking her head with a smile.  

Dean feels like he’s walking on cloud nine on the way back to the hotel. It’s been a long time since he hasn’t felt like he’s had to constantly look over his shoulder, and he knows that he should know better; but right now he just wants to be happy. He’s finally starting to believe that he deserves to be happy. 

He comes to a screeching halt as he rounds the corner of the hotel. Flashing blue lights parked right behind his Baby have his heart launching into his throat. “What the hell?” He mutters, forcing his feet into motion. That’s when he sees Sam, standing a head above the gathered police, dressed nicely in his suit. He must have seen the police and decided to look official. Dean takes a moment to observe Sam and inwardly drool at the sight of those slacks and the crisp white shirt underneath his form fitting black jacket. Over the years, they’ve gotten better about picking their suits and Dean doesn’t think he’s ever seen Sammy looking so good. 

Dean breathes a sigh of relief, it doesn’t look like the police are after them. It’s just a coincidence that they're blocking Baby in. “Sam?” Dean whispers, handing over the caramel froo froo drink. Dean feels under dressed in his jeans and t-shirt, but he can play it off if he has to. 

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step back” An officer says to Dean, trying to usher him away from the circled police. 

“This my partner, Agent DeYoung” Sam interrupts the officer, laying a hand on Dean’s arm to hold him in place. 

“Sorry, caught out without my badge. I’d better go get it, huh?” Dean smirks at the officer and glances thankfully at Sam. “What’s going on here?” Dean ignores the officer’s skeptical glare and focuses on his brother. 

“They’re closing the beach. Some early morning swimmer got caught in a _whirlpool_. They think she’s drowned. Kid over there escaped” Sam jerks his head towards a young girl surrounded by EMTs and raises his eyebrows at Dean, emphasizing how strange a whirlpool is in this area. 

“A whirlpool? That happen often here?” Dean finally turns to ask the police officer who is still looking at him sideways. 

“Not that I’ve seen” He huffs. “Look, if you’re going to stay you really need to present some ID” He fixes Dean with a stern look. 

“Yeah yeah. I’ll be back in a minute.” He waves the officer away and nods to Sam before turning back to their room. Sam stays with the police, not wanting to miss anything. His steady gaze focuses on the whirlpool that can be seen from shore, churning like a story out of a book. Like out of a book he saw someone reading on that beach only hours ago.  

The whirlpool had begun to dissipate by the time Dean returns, fake badge in hand. The little girl who had escaped hadn't seen anyone on the beach but she described being forced out of the whirlpool instead of being sucked in like her foster mother. She said it felt like something had grabbed her legs and pulled her to shore, but there was nothing there. The police at the scene assumed she got caught in a cross current and was lucky enough to be dragged to safety instead of further out. Sam and Dean exchange a doubtful look.  

 Bruises litter the girls body, along with some fresh burns visible just above the line of her swimsuit. She wouldn't tell the officers how she came across those bruises and burns, but allowed the paramedics to dress the burns.  

"Do you think her foster mom might have done that to her?" Sam asks Dean in a hushed tone as he watches the paramedics treat the girl. A social worker was in the way to pick her up, since her foster mother had been her sole guardian. 

"It seems likely, what kind of mother would let their kid so swimming with burns like that?" Dean whispers back. 

"Not a good one" Sam agrees. "I think we've learned all we can here. We should talk to some of the other victims, and maybe the kids that they hurt if we can" He suggests, nodding back to their hotel room. 

"Did you notice what that girl on the beach was reading last night?" Sam asks Dean as soon they're safely back in their room. 

"No, why?" Dean says, shucking off his jeans to change into his suit. He fixes Sam with a questioning look. What does she have to do with anything. 

"The Odyssey" Sam says plainly as he tosses his empty coffee cup into the trash. 

"Oh" Dean says, eyes widening. He vaguely remembers reading parts of that book once, or maybe it was just Sam talking about it; it's hard to be sure. What he does remember is it was about a King's ship trying to get home. "The ship was almost swallowed by a whirlpool" Dean gulps and Sam nods. 

"I think we need to track that girl down" Sam confirms Dean's thoughts. "It's too much of a coincidence" 


	3. Chapter 3

Their interviews prove fruitless, although Sam manages to find an unfortunate amount of gum with sole of his shoe. Only the left shoe. After he fourth wad of sticky goo, Dean is crippled with laughter as Sam peels off the offending shoe and throws it in frustration. Dean falls over onto Baby, letting the car support of all his weight as he loses the ability to breath when Sam puts his sock covered foot down into yet another sticky mess. “Dean!” Sam growls, face reddening in anger. 

“It’s gotta be the trickster Sammy” Dean manages to wheeze out between bouts of laughter. He takes a look at his brother’s narrowed hazel eyes and reddened cheeks, he can almost picture steam coming out of his ears and taking the shape of antlers to make him look even more moose like. He internally curses Crowley for coming up with the moose nickname and he nearly chokes on his renewed chuckling but the death glare from Sam makes him try to stop. 

 None of the victims saw anything, and if the kids saw anything; they aren't talking. They decide to go back to the hotel, where the room is sure to be gum free and allow Sam to decompress. They return to find every single parking spot to be occupied except for one between two poorly parked cars that hang over the lines. Dean scowls and Sam shoots him a smirk. 

After circling the lot a few times, Dean finally gives up and goes across the street. All of those spots are full to. “Son of a bitch!” Dean half shouts, smacking the steering wheel. 

“At least it’s your turn now” Sam laughs, leaning back in the seat; his problems with chewing gum temporarily forgotten. 

“Shut up Sam” Dean bites, pulling the car in to check the next lot, and the lot after that only to come up without somewhere to park his Baby. 

Finally he circles back to the hotel, finding the lot nearly empty. All of the cars vanished. A half hour wasted. Dean grumbles angrily under his breath as Sam tries to hold back his laughter. 

Dean whips into a spot near the room, still muttering angrily as he throws baby into park. Sam is still shaking his head in amusement, but he looks at the sidewalk carefully before stepping out. He doesn’t see any more gum, but he hadn’t earlier either. 

"How do we track this Michaela down anyways? That probably isn't even her real name" Dean gripes, falling back on the bed in their hotel with a huff. He does a wiggle on the covers, trying to scratch an itch that just appeared.  

"We could head to Bradenton. Look up all the Michaelas" Sam shrugs, sitting on the edge next to Dean since his brother flopped right in the middle. Even a king sized bed isn't that big for two grown men. 

"There's probably hundreds of them" Dean whines, not looking forward to that much research. "We don't even know if she's the trickster" He waves his hand towards the ceiling in frustration. He wiggles again, rubbing the backs of his legs over the corner of the mattress this time. 

"We could call Cass" Sam admits, reaching around to scratch a spot on his back. Maybe the Angel would have some ideas. The name Michaela is probably fake anyways. As far as Sam could find, there aren't any trickster gods by that name and his gut is saying she's involved. 

"And say what? We're in over our heads? We know something is going on here but we're coming up empty?" Dean sits up, angrily scratching at his shoulder and staring hard at Sam before dropping back to the mattress. Is this finally pay back for that damn itching powder? 

"I doubt he'll mind. Last we heard, he was coming up with nothing on Kelly. Maybe he needs a break too" Sam shrugs, itching a spot on his thigh. They really do have nothing to go on. It's either Cass or Rowena. It's an easy choice. 

"Yeah, you're probably right" Dean sighs, as close to admitting defeat as his Winchester genes will allow. He rolls over and pulls his phone out of his pocket, realizing his stomach is now burning with the need to scratch. He finds and hits the button for Cass without bothering to sit up. He can ignore this. 

"Hello Dean" Cass answers on the third ring, his gravelly voice pitched slightly higher in pleasure at the phone call. 

"Heya Cass" Dean smiles, despite his protests it is good to hear his friend's voice. He subconsciously reaches down to scratch just above the waist of his slacks. 

"How is Sam?" Castiel asks, pleased to be distracted from the dead ends he's been chasing. 

"Sam's right here. I'm gonna put you on speaker, ok?" Dean asks but doesn't wait for a reply. He hits the button and sets the phone on the bed between him and Sam. 

"Hi Cass" Sam greets, standing to reach a spot right between his shoulder blades. 

"Hello Sam. How is your case?" Cass asks. 

"Well, we're pretty sure we're dealing with a trickster. The trouble is, we don't know how to find her" Sam explains. 

"Yeah, we were hoping you might have some ideas" Dean adds nervously, hoping Cass doesn't think they only called because they needed help. They did, but he's also glad to hear from Castiel. 

"You said her?" Cass asks, sounding surprised. Dean can almost picture his head cocking to the side as his brows raise. 

"Yeah. We think we met her without realizing it. We're afraid she made us" Sam admits, blushing slightly. Damn it, his leg is really starting to burn. What the hell is going on! 

"Eris and Dischordia are dead. There aren't any other female tricksters that I know of" Cass says, questions coloring his tone. "Tell me what you know" His voice dips low and the gravel in it sends a shiver up Dean's spine. 

"She looked young, a little younger than me. Bright blue eyes. Like yours, actually. She seemed really friendly, didn't raise any red flags with either of us. Auburn hair, petite but curvy. She said she was in Tampa visiting her dad, but she lives a little further south of here. She also said she went to college at the same school where we first met Gabriel" Sam unloads everything he knows about her, and it is sadly very little. “Goddammit” Sam grumbles, stripping off his shirt. If Dean got more itching powder, he’s going to murder his brother. Dean quirks an eyebrow at him but doesn’t say a word. 

"She was also reading the Odyssey on the beach the night before a woman was sucked into a whirlpool there" Dean adds, excited to have something to add. Dean is steadfastly ignoring the way his back feels like he’s going to burst into flames. 

"Hold on" Cass grumbles, the sounds of papers shuffling and doors closing come over the phone. It sounds like he might be flipping through a book. "You said she has blue eyes and auburn hair?" Cass asks, sounding like he's trying to put pieces of a puzzle together. 

"Yeah, she..." Dean starts but Cass interrupts. 

"Does she have anything either of you touched?" Cass asks, slight alarm coloring his tone. 

"I gave her a beer" Sam gulps, the color draining from her face. He scratches absently just below his belly button, Dean watching with rapt attention. 

"And I used one of her towels after I was dunked by a wave" Dean adds, glancing nervously at Sam. "Do you think we're in danger?" Dean asks urgently, scratching a little bit harder at his dress pant clad thigh. 

"Assuming she kept those things, she’ll be able to find you using them. Do you have anything she touched?" Cass asks, avoiding Dean's question. 

Sam shakes his head. "She shook my hand" Dean offers, that really is all. 

"Cass, is she dangerous?" Sam asks, somewhat nervous. So far she hasn’t hurt them, but if the gum and the parking situation is any indication; she could if she wanted to. 

"Obviously. Yes. Did she give you a name?" Cass asks even though he suspects that he might know the answer to that question. 

"Michaela" Dean answers. 

"Dean. Sam. I need you to wait until I get there. I think I know who she is" Cass says, not willing to offer any more information until he's sure. He's heard of this girl but has never been able to find her. 

"What if she gets away!" Dean argues, not at all happy with the idea of having to wait around even longer. Especially since he’s so damn itchy! 

I... if she is who I suspect, I don't think she's done with you yet. I'll be there in 12 hours" Cass hangs up before Dean can say another word.  

"Well this is fantastic" Dean goes back to whining, covering his face with arm. He can't help but wish that Cass still had his full ability to fly. He does not want to sit around here waiting for something to happen. Or waiting for this itching mess to stop. 

"Just great”. He should have known this wouldn't have been a cut and dry case. “What do you think we're dealing with?" Sam asks, staring down at his brother. 

"I have the sinking feeling we're going to find out in a big way" Dean groans, forcing himself to sit up and stop hogging the bed. He kicks off his shoes, so ready to be done with this monkey suit. He quickly strips off the layers, throwing them as far as he can. “Did you do this?” Dean bites, raking his fingers across his chest. 

Sam shakes his head. “I take it you didn’t either” Sam nearly whines, stripping off his own pants. 

Now that they’re both naked, the itching stops. “Huh” Dean remarks, shrugging his shoulders and eyeing his brother’s nude form. 

Sam rolls his eyes at Dean’s attention. Typical. 

“You wanna?” Dean asks, waggling his eyebrows. 

“And let her ruin that for us too?” Sam asks incredulously. 

“I get the feeling she’s done for a while” Dean shrugs. Hoping he’s right. 

“As soon as something strange happens. We’re done. Got it” Sam demands but Dean is already reaching for him. They tumble back to the bed, landing in a tangled mess of limbs mouths pressed firmly together. 

\--- 

Time seems to crawl while they wait for Cass. They scour the internet for clues and order takeout, Dean is halfway through his container of sweet and sour chicken when Sam breaks the silence. 

"I think I found something!" Sam exclaims excitedly, urging Dean to come closer. 

"What?" Dean peers over Sam's shoulder, looking at an old newspaper article on Sam's screen. 

"The man in the barrel and his ex-wife fostered kids in the 90s. They were arrested after their foster daughter disappeared in 1995, but they were released due to lack of evidence. Guess what her name was" Sam asks excitedly. 

"Michaela?" Dean's chicken sits like a rock in his stomach. 

"Yeah. AND, the woman who got sucked into the whirlpool?" Sam asks, nearly bouncing with excitement. 

"The Ex-Wife?" Dean asks with a groan. He sees where this is going. 

"Yeah. The girl disappeared without a trace. The police suspected that she was kidnapped" Sam adds, reading deeper into the article. 

"I'm betting those two attacks were personal then. We're either looking at Michaela or whoever took her" Dean draws the conclusion, shuffling still closer to Sam. "Cass ought to be here soon" Dean nuzzles Sam's neck. Being cooped up in the room for so long with nothing to do is giving him ideas. 

"Mmmm" Sam hums. "Did you text him the address?" Sam asks, half dazed by Dean's attentions. 

"Uh huh" Dean replies between kisses along Sam's throat. Sam pulls forward and Dean whines at the loss. 

"We shouldn't" Sam says, reverting to their way of keeping things below the radar. 

"Cass knows, he doesn't care" Dean whines. 

"Still. We shouldn't push it" Sam admonishes, still shy about anyone knowing about him and Dean. Let alone an Angel! 

"You're no fun" Dean grumps, flopping back on the bed and leaning against the headboard. 

Sam huffs out a half laugh before returning to his computer. He's determined to find out more about the couple that fostered Michaela before she disappeared. If the man had barrels of dead girls behind his house, and the child with the woman was so battered; his heart clenches to think of what Michaela might have gone through with them. If this was revenge, Sam can't help but think she deserved to take it.  

He finds a picture of young Michaela from the missing person's database, and he can't help but stare at the sad blue eyes of the little girl. This is supposed to be a school picture, but he can see the blush of a bruise on her cheek and not a single trace of a smile on her lips. She looks lost, broken. Sam might not be happy about how he and Dean grew up, but he was never alone. He actually feels sorry for this girl. 

Dean jumps out of bed when a knock sounds on the door. Sam rolls his eyes when he sees Dean quickly straighten his shirt before all but running towards the door. “He’s not your prom date!” Sam calls jokingly, trying to keep a straight face when Dean tries to straighten his hair by running his fingers through it. 

Dean quickly throws Sam a glare before bending down to look through the peep hole. Sam can tell by the grin that quickly fill his face that a certain blue eyed Angel in a trench coat is waiting on the other side. For all of Dean’s posturing, he really wonders if Dean wouldn’t try something with Cass if it weren’t for their relationship.  

Dean throws open the door and drags a startled Castiel into his arms. “Heya Cass!” Dean calls, clapping Cass a little too hard on the back. Cass’ wide blue eyes focus on Sam and ask a dozen questions all at once. 

“Hello Dean” He rumbles, his voice full of more gravel than usual.  

“Hi Cass” Sam smiles, clapping Castiel on the shoulder when Dean finally lets him go. Sam tries to hold back a laugh at Dean’s goofy grin. Ever since that incident with Ramiel, Dean has been more willing to show Cass how he feels. 

“Hello Sam” Cass offers a small smile, still trying to figure out why the brothers are in such good moods. 

“Was the drive ok?” Dean asks, looking slightly sheepish. Despite Cass having plenty of time to get used to human transportation, he still feels like Cass is going to suddenly regret everything that’s happened over the last few years and disappear on him. 

“The drive was just fine Dean” Cass turns his confused gaze to the older Winchester. “Have you learned anything more about Michaela?” Cass asks, turning to Sam since at least he is acting mostly normal. 

“I don’t think she’s a Trickster” Sam starts and Dean comes to stand beside him. 

“You are correct” Cass confirms with a nod. 

“Two of the victims were her foster parents, before she disappeared when she was eight” Dean adds, looking hopeful. 

“Yes. I have reason to believe Gabriel had a hand in her disappearance” Cass says like it’s no big deal. 

“Gabriel?” Sam nearly squeaks, falling back to sit on the edge of the bed and dropping his head into his hands. No wonder she’s acting like a Trickster. 

“Yes. I heard from one of my brothers that Gabriel was hiding something, one of the reasons he was on the run from Heaven. He never admitted anything, but he alluded to protecting someone when I confronted him” Cass explains, not wanting to say too much. 

“Protecting someone? Why would a kid need the protection of an Archangel? What is she Cass?!” Dean demands, stepping closer to his brother. He sees the flash of realization cross Castiel’s face as the Angel scans the room. It’s pretty obvious that the room only has one bed and both brothers are staying in it. 

“I’m not sure _what_ she is, only that Gabriel was concerned for her safety” Cass explains, leaving out what she is rumored to be. 

“Is she a witch? I hate witches” Dean asks, screwing up his face in disgust. 

“No Dean. She is not a witch. She will not spew her bodily fluids on you” Cass rolls his eyes, reciting Dean’s greatest complaint against witches. 

Sam nearly chokes on his own spit as he fights a surprised laugh. Somehow that sounded so dirty coming from the stoic Angel. Dean looks at Castiel, mildly offended when the Angel just cocks his head quizzically at Sam’s reaction. 

“Cass!” Dean groans, knowing full well the Angel probably has no idea what he just said. 

“What? She won’t. At least, not like Sam” Cass says with a deadpan expression and Dean turns scarlet.  

“Cass!” Dean bites as Sam’s laughter doubles. Cass’ stern face morphs into a grin, letting Dean know that Castiel knows exactly what he’s doing. 

“Alright! What about the case! How do we stop her?” Dean demands gruffly. 

“Well, we could kill her” Cass shrugs “But I would appreciate a chance to speak with her first” He adds. Assuming this is the girl, she was important to his brother and deserves a chance to explain herself. 

“I would be interested to hear what she has to say. Just from what we’ve learned her victims have done, I’m not sure her attacks were unjustified” Sam recovers enough to give his input. He’s still sitting on the bed, red faced and breathing heavy.  

“She acting like a vigilante! That’s what the courts are for.” Dean interjects. 

“How much different is it than what we do?” Sam asks his brother, hazel eyes boring into Dean’s green ones. 

“She’s attacking humans!” Dean bites, waving his arms. “She’s been screwing with us too! I’m sure of it!” 

“Human’s that deserve it, and we are hunting her after all” Sam says, emphasizing _deserve._ He can’t help but feel some sympathy for the girl, and she hasn’t done anything to hurt them. At least not yet. Cass watches Sam and Dean exchange exasperated statements. 

“She could prove to be useful” Cass says thoughtfully and both brothers turn to stare. “I will need your help getting her to speak with me. I have the feeling she will want to avoid being near an Angel”  

“Useful? Cass, what the hell is she!” Dean exclaims, all former happiness at seeing his friend forgotten as he grows impatient with all of these non-answers. 

“I am not certain. I have heard rumors from other Angels, but I am not comfortable labeling her without being sure” Cass’ voice drops, gaining a rough edge that Dean hasn’t heard directed at him in some time. He does not want to keep going in circles with this line of questioning. He feels bad withholding the truth from his friends. 

“What do you need us to do?” Sam asks, swallowing his desire to demand answers. He knows Cass isn’t going to budge. 

“I need you to trap her” Cass explains a plan. He doesn’t think she’ll go far, she’ll probably want to keep an eye on the Winchesters so Cass doubts she’ll be difficult to find if they pay attention. The best bet will be to try and figure out how she’s finding her victims and ambush her.  

They scour police reports, re-interview the victims and even talk to the victims neighbors for three days before they finally discover that all of the victims except for the two who lived in Bradenton frequented the same bar in Tampa. 

“There hasn’t been an attack in four days!” Dean gripes, he thinks the bar is a dead end. “What if she got what she wanted and moved on?” He sighs, exasperated from being cooped up doing research for four days. 

“If Cass is right, she’s probably been too busy watching us chase our tails to bother with new victims” Sam sighs, dropping down in the chair next to Dean. “At least she’s been leaving us alone” 

Cass hasn’t left the room since he arrived, he doesn’t want to risk Michaela seeing him and recognizing him as an Angel. “Well, then maybe you two should go out and see if she finds you” Cass says, pressing his hands together and turning his eyes towards the ceiling. He loves the Winchesters, he really does, but his patience is not infinite and Dean’s complaining is growing tiresome. 

“And use ourselves as bait?” Dean eyes Cass seriously, incredulous that his best friend would suggest such a thing. 

“Yes. Dean. Use yourselves as bait” Cass rolls his eyes in frustration. Really? Dean is objecting to going to the bar and drinking? “Like I said before, if Michaela had any intention of hurting you; she would already” Cass says as if he’s talking to a child. 

“Let's go for it. Head to the bar, hustle some pool. Have a few drinks. If she shows, great. If not, at least we got out for a bit” Sam shrugs, looking at his brother with interest. Dean needs to get out before he drives both Sam and Cass insane. 

“Yeah, sure Sammy” Dean huffs, the set in boredom not even allowing him to throw Sam a smirk. 

An hour later finds Sam and Dean pulling up to the dark and dingy bar that the victims apparently had visited. “Looks like my kind of place” Dean’s smirk turns into an all out grin when he catches Sam’s eye roll. 

Dean parks his baby at the back of the lot, plainly visible from both the bar and the street but far enough away from any other vehicles that might ding her doors.  

“Do you think Cass is right? That she’s watching us?” Sam asks before Dean can open the door. Sudden nerves have caught up to him and he eyes the door to the bar with a slight sense of dread. 

“I dunno. Maybe” Dean shrugs, he knows there is something that Cass isn’t saying but he trusts the Angel almost as much as he trusts Sam. As much as Dean doesn’t like it, Cass is allowed to keep some secrets. “Let's go Sammy, try to relax a bit” Dean smirks at Sam’s uneasy expression as he gives his brother’s knee a comforting squeeze and Sam offers him a half smile. 

“Lets go” Sam sighs, reaching for the door handle. He unfolds himself from the car, eyeing the rest of the parking lot as he turns to let the door fall closed. Everything seems to be in order, a collection of vehicles; not too many but enough and a good mixture of makes and models. None of the cars are terribly nice, but no real beaters either. Nothing out of the ordinary for a bar like this. 

Sam is secretly sure she’s a witch. What else could she be? The monsters they hunt don’t have powers like she does, and he refuses to believe that she’s a demon; although it’s possible. From what Cass had said, she grew up under the care of an Angel. Hell, she was probably part of Gabriel’s game with them at that college. He just can’t see the Archangel taking in a demon. What if she’s like him though? One of Azazel’s chosen children? Gabriel could have protected her from Azazel, maybe. 

“Dean” Sam stops grabbing at his brother’s arm, the realization that she could have demon blood powers coming swift and sudden. 

“What?” Dean asks, worry edging in on his tone when he see’s the pinched look on Sam’s face. 

“What if she’s like me? With the demon blood?” Sam nearly gasps, wishing and hoping that it isn’t true. That he’s wrong. 

Dean eyes Sam cautiously for a moment. It has been years since they’ve had to struggle with the after effects of the Demon blood and Dean is not anxious to drag his brother through that again. “I doubt that Sammy, Cass would have said something” Dean tries to dismiss the idea, but it churns in his gut nonetheless. “Even if she is, that doesn’t mean she’s evil” Dean comforts when he sees his dismissal fall flat. “She’s probably just a normal human who Gabriel taught some tricks. He probably just took pity on the abused child. Gabriel wasn’t really that bad” Dean says but he knows he made a mistake as soon as Sam’s eyes harden. 

“Let's just go inside” Sam bites, pulling away from Dean and walking towards the door. 

“Crap” Dean mutters under his breath as he hurries after his brother. 

By the time they reach the door, Sam has reclaimed his mask but Dean can still see by the way his brother’s nostrils flare with each huff of a breath that he’s still on edge. The humid southern air wraps around them, almost making Dean wish he had worn shorts. Almost. He cringes at the thought. He darts in front of Sam, pulling the door open and ushering Sam through with his hand pressed against his brother’s lower back. 

Sam gives Dean a sideways glance before deciding to just go with it. The cold blast of air from inside hits them hard and Sam can feel Dean let out a sigh of relief. Dean would never complain, but the sticky humidity rolling off the gulf is getting to be downright oppressive. How do these southerners stand it? 

Dean is quick to approach the dimly lit but well stocked bar and order two beers. Sam follows but his gaze is busy scanning the other patrons. The place isn’t packed, but it’s still busy enough to easily miss someone. He scans several couples dismissively, an old grumpy looking man sitting alone at the end of the bar, the bikers in the corner playing pool. Predictable. 

Sam eyes the empty pool table near the bikers and gets Dean’s attention. He wouldn’t mind a game with just the two of them. Dean grins around the mouth of his beer bottle when he see’s where Sam is indicating. A quick exchange for quarters has them racking the balls. 

The bikers are polite enough not to snicker when Dean playfully slaps Sam’s ass even though Sam can feel their gaze following them. Dean breaks solidly, sinking two stripes and then three more before missing.  

Sam lines up his shot, a glance to his brother says they’re not going to bother hustling tonight so he sinks his shot, followed by two more before he accidentally sinks one of Dean’s. 

“Lemme show you how it's done little brother” Dean smirks and Sam swears he can hear a choked cough from the next table. Dean’s gaze flits towards the sound, realizing his slip and suddenly on guard in case someone says anything. The two of them have been acting far too intimate to be brothers, and he’s sure there’s only so much these southern bikers will take before they try and cause trouble. 

“You know how I hate that” Sam throws Dean a bitch face, trying to cover for Dean’s slip and Dean pokes his tongue out and waggles his eyebrows. They hear a snort from the next table and know they’re in the clear. The bikers seem more amused by the seemingly gay couple at the table next to them than anything. 

Dean sinks three more balls before setting down his cue and heading to the bar. Sam takes his time lining up his shot and he can’t help watch the sway of Dean’s hips as walks. He takes a deep breath before sinking the ball.  

“Hey man. How long you two been together?” Sounds from behind Sam before he has a chance to take aim for his next shot. He spins, expecting confrontation but only finds a friendly smile. 

“Uh. Ah, too long to count” Sam forces a smile, still nervous about the situation. He can sense Dean’s eyes on him from the bar, watching for trouble. Sam tucks his bangs behind his ear, trying to act calm. 

“I thought as much. You two are way too in synch to be a new couple” The older, leather clad man smiles. “Name’s Jack” He holds out a hand to Sam. 

Sam eyes the man warily, his greying hair is clipped short and he stands about a head shorter than Sam. His stance isn’t threatening so Sam takes the offered hand. “Sam” He introduces himself just as he feels the warmth of his brother’s hand settle on his back. 

“I’m Dean” Dean offers his hand, studying the situation. “Got a problem here” He cocks his head at Jack, who breaks into a dim smile. 

“None at all man. Just wondering if you two’d like to play a round” Jack gestures to the table with a smile. 

“Sure” Dean shrugs, comforted that Jack isn’t trying to cause trouble. The brothers finish their game quickly and join Jack and his wife at the next table. They laugh and joke their way through two games and three more beers, each team winning one before Jack and Tammy have to head home.  

“It was great meeting you two” Tammy shakes each of the brother’s hands before turning to leave with her husband. Dean is all smiles, happy to be able to be in public with Sam and to be accepted without trouble.  

Sam takes his turn to head to the bar this time. They’ve been sticking with beer so they’ve both got a bit to go before they have to start cutting back. The night is still young and they’re actually enjoying themselves. 

Turning back with more beer in hand, Sam watches Dean’s eyes track someone through the bar. His green eyes are narrowed to slits in concentration and Sam’s gaze lands on a head full of long auburn hair before snapping back to Dean. He catches Dean’s nod as his brother’s hand digs in his pocket for his cell phone. 

“Actually, I’ll take a third. Our friend just showed up” Sam asks the bartender, paying for another beer before casually walking over to where Dean is still standing. “Text Cass?” Sam asks, making sure Dean remembered. 


	4. Chapter 4

“He’s on his way” Dean nods, starting to walk towards Michaela. She hasn’t let on that she knows they’re here yet, Dean is guessing that she hopes they don’t notice her. She’s alone, settled in at a booth near the middle of the bar and Sam and Dean both plaster on smiles as they approach her. 

“Hi there!” Sam exclaims, causing Michaela to jump as her blue eyes dart up to take them in. Her expression falters before pasting on a smile and neither brother misses her hesitation. 

“Hi guys” She grins but it doesn’t make it to her eyes as Dean slides in the booth beside her, blocking her in. “Just have a seat” She says, gesturing to the table a hint of sarcasm in her tone. 

“We saw you come in and just had to say hello” Dean smiles his little shit eating grin. “We wanted to ask you about something” He starts, handing Michaela the third beer. He had added a few drops of holy water to it. “Brought you a beer” He smiles as she carefully takes it, eyeing both of them suspiciously. She brushes her hair back, behind her shoulder and she looks down at the table and picks at the label without taking a sip. 

“A girl’s gonna get the wrong impression if you keep buying her drinks” She smirks, picking up the bottle and turning it to examine the label. She keeps glancing up at the bar and Dean follows her line of sight. He sees the bartender nod at her and she smiles weakly back.  

Dean glances at Sam, silently communicating so that Sam scoots over a couple of inches to block Michaela’s line of sight to the bartender. They don’t want any interruptions. “How’s your visit with your dad going?” Sam asks, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. 

“Just fine” She replies shortly, taking a sip of the beer. She doesn’t react other than swallowing a little hard and Dean breathes a sigh of relief. Not a demon. “How’s your vacation going?” She asks, sounding distracted. 

“Pretty uneventful. Not much has happened since the drowning on the beach the morning after we got here” Sam shrugs, watching carefully for any reaction. 

“I heard about that. Strange, isn’t it?” Michaela asks, her blue eyes widening slightly. 

“That is such a pretty ring! May I?” Dean asks, feigning enthusiasm and abruptly changing the topic, gesturing at the slim band with green stone on her finger. She shrugs and offers her hand. Dean examines the ring, being sure to let his own pure silver ring brush against her skin. No reaction.  

“My Uncle gave it to me, before he died” She says quietly as she takes her hand back. She looks at Dean like she knows his interest in the ring was a ruse but doesn’t say anything. 

“I’m sorry to hear that” Sam consoles, sincerity coloring his tone. 

“It was a while ago” Michaela dismisses, eyeing the table again. “So what brings you handsome guys to this little corner?” She asks, somewhat hopefully. 

“We were looking for a decent pool table” Dean is quick to answer, gesturing to the corner. 

“So I just got lucky running into you again?” She asks with a half smile, trying to sound cocky. 

“We don’t believe in luck” Dean says quietly, leaning in closer to her like he’s telling her a secret. Just then his phone buzzes and he takes a quick look. Cass just arrived and Dean quickly texts him where to find them. He scoots a little closer to Michaela, and she scoots closer to the wall to reclaim her personal space. 

“We’ve got a friend we’d like you to meet” Sam says with a smile, trying to be as non threatening as possible.  

“I hope he’s as good looking as you two” She raises an eyebrow, trying to act confident through her obvious unease. “Although, if you guys want to quit playing this game I’d be really OK with that” She mumbles, looking down at the table sheepishly.  

Sam and Dean exchange confused glances. “What do you mean sweetheart?” Dean says, keeping the mocking tone to a minimum as he swings an arm over her shoulders. She seems more like a worried mouse at this point than anything resembling a threat. Dean can feel her tremble under his touch and he almost feels bad for her. 

Sam cocks his head in wonderment. She’s a petite girl to begin with, but she’s managed to shrink in on herself enough to look tiny and yet she’s barely moved at all. Dean with his arm around her has her frozen like a deer in the headlights. The bottles on the table start rattling in time to her trembling and Dean moves his arm away from her and towards the gun in his waistband.  

Michaela reaches out with both hand and grabs her bottle, holding it down tight to the table to stop it’s trembling. “Sorry” She mutters, giving Sam the bluest doe eyes he’s ever seen. “I know who you are, and I know you aren’t dumb enough not to have an idea of who I am” She whispers. “My uncle warned me to stay away from you two, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t let her get away with it” She gasps, trying to keep her composure but quickly losing the battle. 

“The whirlpool” Dean asks cautiously. Clearly this girl has powers, although she doesn’t seem inclined to use them here. 

She nods, not looking up from the bottle clutched between her hands. “What did your foster mother do?” Sam asks earnestly, leaning across the table slightly. 

“She was selling girls” Michaela says, the steel returning to her voice as she raises her bright blue eyes meets Sam’s hazel ones. Sam sees a storm of emotion in those crystalline depths and he has no doubt that the woman in front of him is telling the truth. 

Dean startles slightly, leaning away from Michaela and glancing toward Sam. Dean swears he felt an electric pulse run through him when Michaela spoke and she turns to look at him wide eyed. 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I don’t want to hurt you” She pleads, leaning further away from Dean as he considers her. Michaela’s bright blue eyes go impossibly wide and all color drains from her face as she takes in something behind Dean and she scrambles as far back into the corner as she can go. “Please, let me go. Kill me if you want, but please keep him away from me!” She raises her voice, pleading and her eyes begin to water. 

Sam turns to see Cass approaching and Dean doesn’t dare take his eyes off of the terrified girl. “Dean! Cass….” Sam hisses to his brother as Cass approaches and Michaela takes to whimpering. 

“Michaela, this is Castiel. He’s a friend” Sam introduces as Cass slides into the booth next to him. Sam scoots so he’s directly across from the girl, who is staring wild eyed at the Angel. 

“Michaela, I have no intention of harming you” Cass tries to comfort but the low gravel of his voice does nothing but frighten the girl further. 

“But you. You’re. You’re an _Angel_ ” She mutters, clearly skeptical of Castiel’s intentions. 

“How do you know he’s an Angel?” Dean glances between the girl and his friend, trying to figure out what in hell is going on and why Michaela is terrified. “Have you two met before?” Dean demands of Castiel, knowing he isn’t going to get anything out of the girl pressing herself into the corner. It's a wonder no one in the bar is paying attention to the obvious distress of the young woman. 

“No. We have not met. I’m guessing she can see true forms.” Cass answers, still eyeing Michaela with a concerned expression. 

“Is that true?” Sam asks, wishing he had taken the spot next to her instead of Dean. Cass is right, if she had wanted to hurt them she would have done it already. She nods timidly, not taking her eyes off of Castiel as if she’s afraid to even blink. 

“Why did you hurt those people Michaela?” Cass asks sternly, not paying much heed to her obvious terror. 

“Bad people” Michaela shakes her head, forcing herself to answer the question. “Alice was selling girls, John was murdering them and Walter was hurting little boys” She mutters, shrinking back a little less since Cass hasn’t made a move for her. 

“And the teacher was molesting his students, and the other lady what? Was starving her kid and locking her up?” Dean says gruffly and Michaela nods the affirmation. 

“And how did you know they were doing that?” Sam asks, wanting the answer to his most pressing question. 

“I’ve been living here for three years. Peacefully. Then I ran into Alice. She didn’t recognize me, but I could see what had been done to the girl with her. She did the same thing to me. I _knew._ ” Michaela sniffs, tears threatening to fall. “Just make it quick ok?” She cringes back and Cass looks at her with pity. 

“I have no interest in harming you. Ok? I just want to talk.” Cass tries to comfort, even raising the pitch of his voice slightly to sounds less intimidating. 

“But you’re….” She starts 

“An Angel. Yes. But I was also close to Gabriel” Cass explains, trying to put her at ease. She takes a sharp breathe at the mention of Gabriel and she seems to relax fractionally. 

“Maybe we should take this back to the hotel?” Dean suggests, not sure how much longer they can get away with corning the obviously terrified girl in the booth without someone asking questions. 

Michaela’s bright blue eyes snap to meet Dean’s green ones. Her gaze is full of fear and distrust and she shakes her head. 

“We promise not to hurt you. Ok? We just want to understand” Sam pleads, reaching a hand across the table in invitation. Sam knows he can be terrifying when he wants to be, but he can also be sensitive and comforting. 

"I didn't have anything to do with it. I swear" Michaela directs at Cass, pleading and shaking her head slightly.  

"With what?" Cass cocks his head in confusion. 

"If I can feel it, I know you can to. I didn't... I won't..." She starts to mutter, unsure of what she wants to say or how to say it. Her bright blue eyes dance between the three men at the table and she feels like a damn fool for continuing with her plan after meeting Sam and Dean. She should have known better. Gabriel had taught her better 

"You can feel it to?" Cass asks, knowing that she's talking about Lucifer's unborn child. Michaela's complexion drains and she turns a little green when she nods. "I know. I know you had nothing to do with it, we don't blame you for that." Cass consoles, tone actually softening with understanding. 

"What is going on here? What are you?!" Dean raises his voice slightly, narrowing his eyes at Castiel and Michaela. 

"I'm..." Michaela starts, looking like she might lose her dinner at any moment. 

"She's a nephilim. A very powerful one" Cass interrupts and both Sam and Dean do a double take gawking open mouthed at the woman scooting as far from them as possible in the small booth. 

"Wait, aren't they supposed to be evil? She doesn't seem evil" Sam turns to put himself between Michaela and Cass. He doesn't think Cass is going to hurt her, but he can't help but feel protective towards the terrified girl. 

"Typically. Yes. But there are exceptions to every rule. I agree with Dean that we should take this elsewhere" Cass says stonily, his blue eyes softening towards the young woman across the table. She's had a rough life and her soul still shines brightly. She and the Winchesters actually have a fair bit in common. 

"Will you come willingly?" Dean turns towards Michaela, green eyes boring into her with a raised brow. She offers a small nod and pushes her bottle away. Dean takes her hand, but can't decide whether it's for control or comfort. "She'll ride with us" Dean tells Cass, knowing it would probably scare her to death if they handed her over to the Angel. 

"I will meet you back at the hotel" Cass says, turning to head toward the exit.  

Michaela relaxes in Dean's grip as soon as the door closes behind Castiel and the Winchester's give Cass a few minutes to leave before heading out with Michaela. Her blue eyes dart between the brothers furtively, looking like she's hoping she'll just sink in to the floor. 

"We're not going to hurt you, ok?" Sam leans down to whisper in her ear. It will be a lot easier to leave peacefully with her if she doesn't look so damn terrified to be with them. Michaela nods, barely. 

"And you're not going to hurt us, right?" Dean takes his turn to lean down and whisper and he's met with wide blue eyes. 

"N...no! I'd never" She shakes her head vehemently.  

"Try and look like we're not going to axe murder you or something" Dean nudges gently, offering a small smile. He can see the bartender eying their little trio with suspicion, Dean would be willing to bet that he knows Michaela and is keeping an eye on her. She nods and tries to smile.  

"Ready?" Sam asks. Dean nods jerkily, Michaela's small hand still wrapped tight in his own as he steps forward. She follows by his side, looking only mildly shell shocked now instead of terrified.  

"Mickey?" They make it almost to the door before the burly man behind the bar steps out and calls to Michaela. "Everything ok?" He asks sternly, glaring at Sam and Dean while giving off a protective vibe so strong that the brothers can almost taste it in the air. 

The trio stops and turns, Michaela stepping forward slightly despite Dean's tight grip on her hand. "I'm fine Jake" She smiles weakly. "Just got some bad news about my dad, my friends here are taking me to see him" She adds, her voice trembling. 

Jake must chalk her tremble up to worry because he shows no sign of doubting her. "I'm sorry to hear that Mickey. You two take good care of her, you hear?" Jake fixes each of the brothers with a firm glare that promises much pain and agony if he hears any harm comes to the young woman. 

"We will" Sam mutters, nodding slightly. He's always eager to please and does not want to start a fight for no good reason. He still doesn't know which way this situation is going to go, but he doesn't think he could kill this girl in cold blood. She shows no interest in fighting them or even in defending herself. Sam thought she was going to faint when Cass sat next to him at the table, he hadn't thought a person could go so pale and still be breathing. 

Sam's affirmation seems to be enough to comfort the protective bar keeper and the man nods before turning back to his customers. Michaela breathes a sigh of relief at the avoided confrontation and Sam feels himself relaxing also. 

"Mickey huh?" Dean smirks once they're outside, guiding Michaela towards Baby. 

"Shut up" She glares, yanking her hand out of his grip. Dean tenses, reaching for his gun and expecting her to make a run for it now that they're outside and away from civilian eyes.  

She stands her ground, auburn hair blowing freely in the breeze as her blue eyes glow with a nearly unnatural light. She stares steadily at Dean without moving, studying his expressions and the way his hand rests on the handle of his Taurus.  

"Come on now, we had an agreement" Sam urges calmly, trying to keep the situation from escalating as her crystal blue eyes bore into his brother. 

Michaela cocks her head at Dean as if reading his thoughts and her gaze flits down to where his gun is still tucked into his jeans. "Which way?" She asks without sparing Sam a glance. Her voice is full of frosty determination, but if Sam didn't know better there was also a hint of fear still. 

Dean gestures grandly with his arms towards the midnight black impala parked near the edge of the parking lot. Michaela starts towards it, walking a half step ahead of Dean; who is still ready to pounce if she resists. 

Michaela comes to a sudden halt, flinging her arms out to stop the brothers from walking past her. She spins on her heel, staring off into the distance and narrowing her eyes in study of the darkened row of bushes. 

"Come on" Dean grumbles, reaching for her shoulder. 

"Shhh" She hisses, holding up a hand that demands silence. 

"What is it?" Sam asks, confusion coloring his tone as he instinctively draws his own gun. 

"The Impalas yours, right?" Michaela whispers, sparing Dean half a glance to see his confirming nod. "Is it locked?" She asks, eyes attentively turned back to the bushes. A low rustling comes from the direction and Dean quickly pulls his gun, finger resting alongside the trigger; waiting for something to aim at. Michaela's posture is alert and defensive, something more pressing than the two men with guns holding her captive has her attention and Dean knows it can't be good. Dean grumbles a yes. He always keeps his baby locked. There is too much to hide in there. 

"What is it?" Sam whispers urgently, nearly hissing as a shadow begins to emerge from the line of bushes. Michaela ignores his question, the three of them edging towards the car as quickly as they can without taking their eyes off the shadowed figure. 

"Demon" Michaela hisses, the wind changing course and bringing the stench of sulfur to their noses. "Either of you got a knife?" She whispers demandingly, holding out her hand in assumption. 

Dean scoffs, knowing a knife would be of little use right now; except for _the_ knife that's in Baby's truck. "Pocket knife" He grunts, assuming that it won't be what she's looking for. 

"Give it" She demands, making a grabby gesture with her hand without looking towards the green eyed man. Dean dutifully digs in his pocket, handing over the knife and she quickly opens it; holding it at the ready. 

The emerging demon begins to clap slowly with a wild grin on it's face. "Thank you little girl! Drawing the Winchesters is an added bonus to having you!" The tall, gangly man sneers, his long pale fingers spreading wide in welcome. 

“Leave us alone asshole” Dean grates, taking up a protective stance in front of Michaela. He isn’t about to let this demon trash come anywhere near Michaela or Sam.  

“Ah, Dean I presume? Overprotective older brother of one Sam Winchester” The demon half croons as his gaze changes focus and lands on Sam. “I do wonder, which of you killed my brother, Ramiel?” The demon half snarls. 

Sam swallows hard and glances to Dean, trying to decide what to do. He’s beginning to fear this is no ordinary demon. 

“You’re one of the fallen” Michaela says, half a question and have a statement; her voice low and caught somewhere between curious and terrified. 

The demon’s glaze flits back to the girl and Dean isn’t having any of it. “Hey, asshole. Leave her out of this” Dean growls. 

“Ah, but she’s the whole reason I’m here! Heard rumors that there was someone of her lineage in the area, and it looks like it’s true!” The demon says with far too much joy in his tone as he clasps his hands together.  

“Yeah, so what?” Michaela grates, challenge coloring her tone as she narrows her electric blue eyes in disgust. 

“We’re going to need your help” The demon grins. “Your cousin is going to need someone to help guide him once he’s born” He explains as if talking to a child. 

“I want nothing to do with that” Michaela spits, eyes actually beginning to glow in the dark of the parking lot. 

“Oh come on now, what about family” The demon whines dramatically, his black eyes flashing menacingly. He stalks closer to the trio, who had given up on edging towards the car. Sam and Dean flank Michaela, seeing the obvious threat to their charge and her obvious objection to having anything to do with the hell spawn. 

“You’re not going to touch her!” Dean nearly growls, his green eyes throwing daggers as he shields Michaela from the demon’s gaze. 

“Dean. Stop” Michaela urges, stepping to the side and slightly forward so that she’s standing shoulder to shoulder with the green eyed hunter. Michaela raises her gaze, whispering a chant that sounds Enochian to Dean’s ears and her eyes glow brighter. The demon steps forward with a wild look on his face, he seems to recognize that words falling from Michaela’s lips as she slices a clean strip across her palm. Her glowing gaze never falters. “Since you’re a fallen, I wonder if this will still work on you?” Michaela asks with a mischievous smirk as she pulls the hem of her shirt up to expose a strange looking tattoo that had begun to glow bloody red. Dean glances towards her nervously as she presses her bloodied hand to the center of the glowing tattoo. 

The demon howls a pained scream as he bursts into an explosion of white light before disappearing completely, leaving Sam and Dean standing confused and breathing heavily. 

“What the hell?” Dean rounds on Michaela with a stubborn growl, grabbing her arm harder than what is probably necessary as he hauls her towards the car. 

“Demon repelling sigil” Michaela manages to stutter through as she lets Dean haul her around. He angrily unlocks the trunk and digs through it after letting her arm go with a huff. He pulls out some bandages and grabs at her hand almost violently. 

“And where the hell did you learn that” Dean bites as Sam watches with growing concern. “And a frickin tattoo! How the hell does that work! Don’t sigils need to be drawn in blood?!” Dean angrily rants, not giving Michaela a chance to answer as he wraps a long strip of gauze tightly around her hand to stem the bleeding. 

“Dean, give her a chance to explain. She just saved our asses!” Sam finally interjects, placing a firm hand on his brother’s shoulders. “You said he was a fallen?” Sam asks Michaela and she responds with a timid nod.  

“A Prince” She whispers, the gravity of the situation catching up with her. “We need to get out of here, I don’t know how far he got blasted but he could come back any minute. He’s going to be pissed” Michaela grabs her hand back from Dean, tugging at the too tight bandage and fixing Dean with an unhappy glare at the situation. “I’ll explain everything” She huffs, reaching for the handle of Baby’s back door. “But we gotta go” She tugs but finds it still locked, sending Dean another impatient glare. 

“Fine” Dean bites, unlocking the doors and sliding in behind the wheel as Michaela and Sam get settled. “Now talk” He demands as he peels out of the parking lot with a loud squeal. The car fishtails with the force of his acceleration as he races back to the hotel and Michaela grabs on to the back of the front bench to keep from sliding all over the car. 

“Your _Angel_ will probably want to hear what I have to say too” Michaela bites bitterly as she holds on. She doesn’t trust any Angel, but she’s sensitive to feel that this Castiel meant her no harm. Neither did that demon, but the demon did mean harm to the Winchesters; and she did not like that idea. She’ll trust an Angel before a Demon any day. Especially when that Demon was once an Angel and he wants her to work with Lucifer’s child? No thank you. 

“She’s right Dean. Might as well only make her tell the story once” Sam says, ever the voice of reason. Dean fights the urge to growl a bitter retort, he chooses to drive as fast as he possibly can instead. Sam makes a quick call to Cass, asking if the hotel room could be somehow warded against a Prince of Hell. Cass promises to do what he can, but their best bet will be to get as far away as possible. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, I always have trouble ending things but I really wanted to do a little something for Castiel...so I broke from canon just a little. But...it could happen in the show, but I highly doubt it would. Please let me know what you think of this story, comments and kudos are awesome. Thank you for reading.

The hotel room is nearly glowing by the time they return. Dean opens the door to a wild eyed and exhausted Castiel slumped in a chair near the door.  

“What the hell man!?” Dean questions, stopping in front of Cass and resisting the urge to drop to his knees to evaluate the Angel.  

“He’s having half life problems. Over exerted himself I’m guessing” Michaela quips as Sam shoves her through the door. She takes one good look at Cass and shrugs, deciding this half burnt out Angel isn’t much of a threat to her at the moment. Most of her earlier fear appears to be gone. 

Castiel’s tired blue eyes roll up to meet hers and he gives her a serious glare, daring her to comment further on his half fallen state. 

“It’s the truth” She mutters, pressing her mouth into a firm line as she considers the man before her scanning her eyes from the messy dark hair on top of his head to the shine of the cheap dress shoes he’s still wearing. She half quirks a smile at the Angel who is studying her in turn before letting out a huff as Sam drags her towards the bed.  

“Sam, come on” She whines, letting the tall hunter push her into sitting at the end of the bed.  

“Dean, don’t” Cass rumbles from his chair when he sees the hunter walking towards Michaela with zip ties. “She won’t give us trouble” He continues, the low gravel of his voice drawing attention from the three others in the room. 

“She blasted away a demon Cass! A Prince of Hell” Dean bites, as if that explains his reasoning. 

“She is no threat to us” Cass says, his voice heavy with command and his gaze never breaks from Michaela’s. "Are you?" The woman shakes her head, a promise that she won’t make a liar out of Castiel and she gives him a terse smile when his eyes widen in surprise at her acknowledgment. 

“How did you blast the Demon away?” Castiel asks, how voice low and full of gravel in the quiet room. Sam and Dean stand tensely between Michaela and Castiel, ready to subdue the woman if necessary. Too much has happened in the last few hours for either of the hunters to be at ease with the situation. 

“Repelling sigil” Michaela says, pulling the hem of her shirt up to reveal a bloodstained patch of skin. The lines of the tattoo are no longer glowing, they nearly blend in to her flesh and more resemble a silvery scar instead of a tattoo. “Uh, can I get a wet towel? Clean this off?” She asks, taking in the sight of her still bloody skin. Dean had wrapped her hand, but that did nothing for her stomach. 

“Yeah” Sam mutters, turning towards the bathroom. He wets a hand towel, cringing at the fact that all they have are white towels to give her. He stalks back, handing the towel off and Michaela quickly wipes away the blood, muttering her thanks and allowing Castiel an unobstructed view. 

The three men eye the tattoo curiously, Dean forgetting himself for a moment as he leans in for a closer look. The lines resemble the Angel repelling sigil, except a pentagram adorns the center along with some jagged looking symbols that Dean doesn’t recognize. 

“I have one for Angels to” Michaela smirks, tugging up the other side of her shirt and exposing the more familiar sigil. 

“How do they work? You were chanting something and it started glowing. Don’t they have to be drawn in blood?” Sam asks, reverting to research mode. These tattoos could prove useful, if they could figure out how they work. 

Michaela shrugs. “They’re powerful magic, beyond me. Uncle Gabe did them” She glances towards Castiel; if anyone in the room knows anything about the tattoos, it would be the Angel. “The chant activates them, both of them. It brings blood to the surface to fill in the lines” she shrugs, she knows how to use them but not how to create them. 

Cass forces himself to his feet and approaches Michaela. Her eyes widen with apprehension at the approaching Angel but she remains still. Dean holding his hand on his gun probably has something to do with that. “May I?” Castiel asks, voice gentle as he reaches out a hand. 

Michaela nods, despite her obvious concern about having the Angel touch her and she clamps her eyes tightly shut when she feels Castiel’s rough fingers brush lightly over the pale lines of her tattoos. She can feel a slight tingle at the touch and she knows that he’s using some of his Angel mojo to really look at them. She can feel how his grace trembles with exertion, how stretched and torn his grace is. How close Castiel is to falling. Gabriel had always said she had very good intuition, part of her powers, and her intuition screams that she should protect this Angel. Castiel is important. 

The Winchester’s watch wide eyed as Michaela goes completely still at Castiel’s touch, it doesn’t even appear that she’s breathing. A light glow emanates from Cass’s fingertips as he traces the tattoo. The Angel’s blues eyes slide closed in concentration and Michaela begins to tremble. Her brow tightens as if the touch was causing pain but her eyes remain tightly closed. Her lips part slightly and her chest constricts, heaving slightly as if she’s holding back panic. 

“Stop. Please” She whines, begging Castiel to take his hand away. The tattoos are glowing under his touch but not filling with blood like before and Michaela’s face is scrunched up in pain.  

“My apologies” Cass draws his hand back, looking sheepishly at the woman as she draws in a heaving breath. Her blue eyes open wide as she and Castiel lock gazes and exchange silent information before he nods firmly and turns away, returning to his chair. 

“Cass?” Dean questions, glancing between his friend and the woman. What just happened? They both look like they’ve been through a wringer but she no longer looks terrified of the Angel. 

“She’s being truthful, those could only have been created by someone as powerful as an Archangel” Cass says, somewhat dejected. Another thing he can’t do to help the Winchesters.  

“So I’m guessing we’re out of luck getting some of our own” Dean grates, clearly unhappy with the news. Cass shakes his head, feeling guilty about his uselessness. 

Sam glances between his brother and the Angel, seeing the hurt on Cass’s face and Dean’s obliviousness. “We’ve been fine this long without them” Sam shrugs, not sure what to say exactly, but knowing he needs to shut Dean up soon. 

Dean seems to realize his error and glances sheepishly at his friend. Even Michaela looks frustrated with Dean's behavior as she gazes at Castiel with sympathy. 

"Tell us why you attacked those people" Sam decides a change of topic is needed and decides to confront Michaela with their original problem. 

"I told you. They were hurting kids" Michaela narrows her eyes, shooting Sam a mild glare. 

"I get the feeling it was a bit more personal than that" Dean bites, raising his brows in challenge. 

"Yes. It was. Like I said, Alice. She led me to John and I discovered he had contacts with the others. They were a trafficking ring. I couldn't just let it continue. After what John and Alice did to me, I couldn't trust the system to deal with them. I couldn't" She glances to each of the three men in turn, pleading for understanding. 

"So you maimed the others, making sure they got caught? You killed Alice in a whirlpool and John is still slowly dying in the hospital?" Dean grates harshly. "That's vengeance, not justice" 

"I am well aware of that" Michaela bites, standing and reaching for the hem of her shirt. She ignores Sam's question of what the hell she's doing and tugs the shirt over her head and turning to show them her back. Her back that is covered with burns scars and lash marks. "This is what he did to me! While she watched. The police investigated but no one cared. No one cared that I was half starved and bleeding through my shirt at school." She chokes back angry tears, anger at the system that failed her and at the people who almost killed her. "If Gabriel hadn't taken me, they would have killed me. They deserve to suffer" She bites, turning back and lowering her shirt. She is met by stunned silence from all three men, Dean looks slightly green like he might be sick and Sam looks crushed. 

"I'm sorry" Sam mumbles, clearly affected by what had just seen. 

"I've never hurt anyone before them. And I don't want to do it again, but I couldn't just stand there and watch them do this to anyone else" Michaela nearly chokes on her words, avoiding eye contact with the three men. 

"How did Gabriel find you?" Castiel asks quietly, unsure how to proceed. There is still information he wants, but he knows the situation is rather sensitive. Not for the first time, he wishes he had a better understanding of human emotion. 

"I don't know. He just showed up in my life one day. Gave me a candy bar on my way home from school. I knew I shouldn't take it, but I hadn't been allowed to eat in days. I couldn't say no" Michaela shakes her head at the memory. "He was there the next day too, asking me questions and giving me more food. I wanted so badly for someone to listen, so I told him everything. A week later he asked me to go with him" She shrugs. "I knew he could be dangerous, but there was something so pretty about him. A glow that no one else had. And he was so nice. I figured even if he killed me, it would be better than staying with my foster parents" She pauses with a hollow laugh, looking up to meet Sam's eyes. "I didn't know what I was yet, or what he was. I didn't know that the light I saw around him was because he was an Angel. He explained it all to me, taught me how to defend myself and took care of me" Michaela smiles through the pang of longing she feels talking about the only family she's ever known. 

"Gabriel always did favor children" Castiel remarks thoughtfully, remembering back to his brother's excitement over the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. It was the death of a child that drove his brother away from Heaven, the death of a child at Michael's hands. 

"Seriously?" Dean asks incredulously, eyeing his friend curiously. 

"Yes. It is of no surprise to me that Gabriel would have sought you out and taken care of you. Did he ever tell you the history of the children of the Archangels?" Cass starts, staring at Dean before turning his gaze back to Michaela. 

Michaela nods but Sam interrupts before she can say anything. "What do you mean?" He glances at Castiel in confusion. 

"My cousins" Michaela says simply. "First there was Tobiah, the son of Raphael. He was honored among the Angels, but fell fighting alongside them to lock Lucifer in the cage. Then there was Dagny. Gabriel's daughter, born of a barren woman in the age of the Vikings. She never knew Gabriel was an Angel, she thought him a God. Gabriel loved her and the child, but Michael ordered all nephilim murdered shortly after her birth. Gabriel refused. Michael burned their village to the ground in revenge against his brother" Michaela pauses with sadness at the pain her beloved uncle went through, seeing his child murdered by his own brother. 

"That is why Gabriel left" Castiel adds. "I remember when that happened, shortly before Gabriel disappeared. It was rumored that Michael had killed him to." Both Sam and Dean look at Cass, beginning to understand Gabriel's ruse as a Trickster. Loki. And, beginning to understand the Archangel's reluctance to stand against his brothers. 

Michaela nods at Castiel's words and Sam and Dean's attention returns to her. "Michael drove him out. And now Lucifer's child is waiting to be born, and apparently the demons want me to help" She huffs out a bitter laugh. "Like the daughter of Michael would have anything to do with _that_ " She folds her arms tightly across her chest, just waiting for that bombshell to sink in to the two humans in the room. She's fairly certain that Castiel already knows her parentage, Angels are gifted at determining those things. 

"Wait. What?" Dean's green eyes go wide as his attention snaps to Michaela. She meets his surprised gaze with a smirk. 

"Yeah. Gabriel first sought me out to take revenge against his brother. To kill me. But then he realized that was what Michael wanted. Michael had already killed my mother but somehow I got away. Gabriel adopted me as his own, kept me hidden. The ultimate F-You to his brother" Michaela smiles fondly at the memory of Gabriel, talking with ease about how her father wants her dead. "I believe I have you, Sam, to thank for locking Michael up" She nods slightly at Sam. 

"Seriously?" Dean asks, still stuck on the idea of her being Michael's child. 

"Seriously Dean. I was even named after that bastard" Michaela rolls her eyes and huffs. She isn't proud of who her father is. 

"Can you help us? Find Lucifer's baby and kill it?" Sam asks earnestly, taking a step closer to the young woman still perched on the edge of the bed.  

Michaela shakes her head. "I don't think so" She crosses her arms across her chest stubbornly. Dean's confusion turns into a steady glare at her refusal. 

"Why not?! Don't you realize how bad things can get if that thing grows up?!" Dean grates angrily, unable to accept her hesitancy. 

"Do you realize you're asking me to kill a _child?!_ " Michaela grates back. "I can feel his power, so can your friend there. That doesn't mean he's going to be evil!" She half yells. "I'm not a murderer!" Her face reddens in her anger and Sam steps back from her, granting the unspoken demand for space. 

"I'm not asking you to kill Lucifer's child" Castiel breaks in, holding a hand out in caution. "Can you help find him?" Cass asks calmly. 

"Wait, him?" Sam speaks up, interrupting Castiel and glancing between the Angel and the Nephilim. 

"Yes. Him" Michaela nearly spits at Sam. "And I don't think I can do anything that you can't" She says to the Angel, deflating somewhat. "I might be able to recharge you some though, might help _you_ be able to find him" She concedes, eyeing Castiel warily.  

"My grace is damaged. I doubt you can help me" Castiel dismisses, stiffening when Michaela gets to her feet. She cautiously steps towards Cass, eyeing the brothers warily as if they might try to stop her. She keeps her hands at her sides as she crosses the room before placing them on Castiel's knees as she kneels at his feet.  

"Gabriel taught me how to mend grace. May I?" She looks up at Cass, still kneeling between the Angels knees and using him to steady herself. Cass looks at her, expression confused before he gives a tight nod. 

"Hold on a second" Dean demands, looking at the semi-obscene sight of the young woman on her knees between his friend's legs. She keeps her hands in place and pays Dean no attention as she closes her eyes and tilts her head towards the floor. 

The lights in the room flicker and the energy can almost be heard as Castiel grunts under the pressure. Michaela breathes deeply, clenching her jaw as she pushes at Castiel's grace; offering her own energy to create patches in the unseen parts of the Angel. 

Sam's eyes grow wide when the lights begin to explode and pop, revealing the dark shadow of two wings stretching behind Castiel's sitting form. The Angel sways in his seat and the Nephilim holds him steady. Dean gasps when he see's blood begin to drip from Michaela's nose as her head sags further. The room plunges into darkness as the young woman slumps to the floor, unconscious. The only sounds to be heard are the low moans coming from Castiel. 

"Cass!" Dean half shouts, stumbling in the direction he knows his friend is sitting in. "Castiel!" He uses the Angel's full name in his panic, it's a rare thing and the word feel foreign on Dean's tongue but his worry supersedes any awkwardness. 

"Dean" Cass groans, leaning forwards in his chair and reaching for the girl who is no longer sitting upright. In the blackness of the room, no one can see what has become of Michaela. 

"Cass" Dean says with relief, hearing his friend's voice in the darkness. Sam strides towards the window, flinging the curtains back and letting in some light from the street. The darkness outside means there isn't much to see by, but it is enough to see Cass sitting unsteadily in the chair and Michaela laying unconscious. 

Castiel's head rolls on his shoulders, trying to orient himself as he feels power coursing through him; more than he's felt in a long time. He tests his newfound strength by repairing the lights and soon they're shining as brightly as they were before they shattered. 

"Cass" Dean says, half breathless and taking in the wings that were forced into appearance. Last time Dean had seen them, they were tattered and faint. Now they look nearly like they did that day in the barn so many years ago. "Cass, is she?" Dean trails off, glancing from his friend to the woman on the floor. 

Cass stands and scoops up Michaela, popping his wings back into invisibility and carrying her across the room to lay her on the bed. He places a hand to her forehead, checking. "She will be ok" He affirms. He can feel the twisted form of her Grace bobbing against his, recognizing it and rejoicing in the contact. Nephilim weren't always vilianized. Most of them probably wouldn't have turned dark if they hadn't been so brutally hunted. 

Almost as if on cue, Michaela lets out a pained groan and raises a sluggish hand to wipe her bloody nose. Sam retrieves another towel and presses it into her hand.  

"You pushed yourself too far" Castiel says, gravel returning to his voice as he straightens his shoulders. "Why?"  

"Yeah, well....you needed it" Michaela grumbles, holding a hand to her aching head. 

"Are you ok?" Sam asks her, ever the gentleman. 

"Peachy" She gripes back, letting her eyes slide closed against the too bright light. 

"You, uh, get some rest. We've got to discuss plans" Dean mutters, not sure whether to leave her here alone or just let her overhear. They settle on leaving the room, heading for the beach. She isn't in any condition to be going anywhere. 

They avoid the sand this time, knowing there is a Prince of Hell on their tail makes them ill inclined to take their shoes off just to feel the sand between their toes. "How are you feeling Cass?" Dean asks, glancing at his friend. 

"Better than I have in a long time" Cass answers, glancing back towards the room. The Winchesters cannot possibly understand how big of a favor Michaela did for him. He might have a fighting chance against the enemy to come now. He still isn't full power, he's better that he has been since his foolish decisions regarding the Leviathans. 

"That’s good Cass" Sam smiles softly, pleased at the turn of events. 

"So what to do we do with her" Dean lays out, pursing his lips in concentration. He doesn't really want to kill her, but they can't take her with them and she won't be safe alone. 

"She does not wish to be involved with this. We cannot force her" Castiel says, still glancing towards the room worriedly. 

"You're right Cass, but we can't just let her go" Sam adds. "Maybe we can convince her to keep contact? I don't think she'll buy in to coming back to the bunker" He shakes his head. 

"Damn right she won't. I don't want anything but humans and Cass down there" Dean bites, glaring at the just the thought of bringing another supernatural being into their lives. No good ever comes of it. Except for Cass. 

"I might be able to convince her" Cass says. "At least give her my phone number" 

"Do you think she would come around? I mean, what she did for you is amazing. Her abilities could be very helpful" Sam asks hopefully.  

"I doubt it" Dean huffs. He won't admit that he sees how valuable Michaela could be, she made it abundantly clear that she has no interest in being a part of this. 

"We'll just have to talk to her. At least try to convince her to exchange phone numbers with us. Maybe if we offer to help her evade the demons, she would be willing to help us" Sam tries to convince both Dean and himself. He doesn't miss the way Cass keeps glancing back at the hotel, like he expects something to happen at any moment. 

"Perhaps" Castiel says, sending yet another sidelong glance towards the room. "I feel that maybe leaving her alone was not the best idea" He finally says, voicing his suspicions. 

Dean turns and rushes back towards the building, Sam and Cass close on his heels. "Sonofabitch!" Dean grates as he throws the door to the room open. Empty. "She ran" He curses, slamming the door hard behind the trio. 

"Great" Sam mutters, beginning to search the room. 

"Anything missing Sammy?" Dean asks, beginning to worry that she may have taken something with her. Or worse, the Hell Prince stole her away. 

"Dean" Cass says, holding up a piece of paper from the table. 

 _Gotta run_ _._ _So long, and T_ _hanks for all the fish._  

 _-Michaela_  

"Damn it!" Dean bites. "What does that even mean?" He groans, re-reading the short message. 

Cass chuckles "I think she's going to be ok. We should get going" He suggests, the further they can get from Tampa the better now that a Prince of Hell knows they're here. Hopefully the demon won't try and track them once he realizes the woman is gone.  

"This was weird" Sam shakes his head as be begins to gather their things. Dean grumbles but doesn't protest. He doesn't want to deal with anything more right now. He just to get out of here and get back to their regularly scheduled programming. 


End file.
